I didn't eat inside so I can't comment on the restaurant itself, but I did order the food to go and loved what I ordered. For more than a year, I've been looking for dim sum reminiscent of my time in Los Angeles. Since moving from Annandale to Falls Church, I've been seeking some good Hong Kong style food tirelessly, but little did I know this hole in the wall looking place would serve what I needed. I ordered shu mai and steamed shrimp dumplings, and they were glorious. I'll return and give a full review next time. Note: don't go there during lunch time on Sundays because there will be a line.
(4)
Laura S.
I've never had the dim sum here but my stomach can definitely say a good word or two about the to-go menu of roasted pork and duck. When you walk in, just go up to the counter w/ the shade half drawn on the right side (you'll see all the delicious roasted meat hanging in the window), say hello and tell them your order. In about 5 min you'll have a ticket to pay with at the register and a to-go meal. Super easy and everyone there is really friendly. I bring it all home and serve it up w/ some freshly made rice from my little zojirushi! All the meats are very moist and well flavored but my absolute favorite is the roast pork b/c it's like lechon (you know what I'm talking about here *queue all my filippino friends*). Super crispy skin and moist flavorful juicy meat.
(5)
Maria-Elena T.
I am a regular here; I love the food. I can't go in without ordering the won ton soup, the shrimp dim sum, and of course, the duck (half order)! This time I ordered the Causeway Bay Dungeness Crab, a chef specialty. It was about 2-2.5 lbs and fresh out of the tank in the back. It was delicious!
(4)
Colin C.
I had been here years ago and never had dimsum here before. Heard there are better spots in Maryland but didn't want to go that far. Not to be super pretentious but I like dimsum a lot and have had in Hong Kong, sanfran, Hawaii, and other popular spots in California. This isn't up to those standards but very good for the area. Tons of options, dumpling wise and fried, etc. Prices aren't great but not horrible either. Of course more than regular takeout Chinese but lots more options of course. Service not horrendous and all in all a good experience. Try the dumpling cart the most over the fried one. Some of those can get a big soggy or not as good sitting out. But in general most things are good. The duck was a bit overrated and I've had better sesame balls. Other than that can't complain about anything I tried including the veggies even. Really liked the pancake thing, pork buns, chive fried dumpling, calamari, shrimp steamed dumpling.
(4)
A N.
Over the winter of 2015 I developed a dim sum craving and visited many places in DC, MD and NoVA. For my money, Mark's Duck House is the best place for dim sum in the DC area and compares favorably to the best dim sum restaurants in San Francisco and Toronto. Here's why: -Classic, generously portioned Cantonese-style dim sum. -The classic favorites (shu mai, shrimp crepes, pork buns) are supplemented by more unusual and delicious choices: abalone, scallop, and lobster dim sum. These more exotic choices are pricy, but worth the splurge. -Barbecued meats (pork, duck, spareribs) and other entrees supplement the dim sum. Barbecued meats are exceptional here and are available for takeout. -Service is excellent. -Seating is ample. Our best dim sum meal at Mark's was on a Saturday at 2 pm. Availability was somewhat more limited later in the day and a number of the items were served cold (but were promptly reheated.) On weekdays, dim sum are available from a printed menu.
(5)
Diana P.
I was too lazy to make the trip into MD for dim sum so we decided to stay local. Because there's really not much options available in NoVA, I gave this a try. I only know of this place because my parents usually come here for the crispy pork when the mood strikes them. The pork was delicious when I was able to try some of my parents' purchases when I visited so I assume the dim sum must be good too. I can say it fulfilled my siu mai, tripe, and dumpling cravings; however, I've had better. The choices are extensive and we didn't try them all so there could be some very good dishes amongst the many decent/okay ones. I would come back due to the proximity of this place to my residence. It gets packed on the weekends so I recommend coming early to beat the crowds.
(3)
Gloria W.
It's a good dim sum restaurant. The roasted pork, shrimp dumplings, and chicken feet taste good. But it will be better if more kinds of dim sum are available.
(5)
Rusia L.
Mark's Duck House. Yes, duck. For many that alone is enough to say no thank you. But for all those duck fans out there, the roast duck is extraordinary. The menu is a typical Cantonese menu with, in my opinion, a great seafood selection. The noodle dishes are yummy as well. The service in the restaurant is sufficient but the ambiance is a bit lacking. The lighting is a bit dim for my taste, and there are usually workers running around or preparing ingredients in the dining area which can be a major turn-off for some people.
(3)
Ning Z.
After living 5 minutes away from this place for almost a year, we finally made a trip to it this Sunday for dim sum. They open at 10am and knowing how dim sum lines can be at other places, we got there at 10:05am. We were also super hungry. Note to the zealous though, do not go there that early. They will NOT be ready with food. We were seated immediately and a waiter asked us our tea preference and brought that out quickly, but the food? Not so much. They were still getting ready and they only had a cart full of bread rolls. Then, a few minutes later, one of the waitresses brought a plate of roast baby pork. Being hungry, of course we said yes, but later, at the end, I found out that pork was $14.95. It wasn't even a big portion. It was bigger than a regular dim sum portion in that it had about 6-7 pieces, but for $14.95 I expect a whole plate, not one of those tiny ones that's about appetizer size. Granted I feel tricked that they did that - opening early with no food ready and then tempt you with the roast pork since there's nothing else!! Gah!! Just beware! The pork was definitely not worth $14.95! I could've gotten 4 other items with that!! Other than that initial hiccup, once the food started coming, everything was great. We enjoyed everything we had - shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, bbq pork bun, pork ribs, etcs. Although I have to say that I like the food from China Garden in Rosslyn just a bit more, but not enough that I would prefer one over the other. But since it's a smaller restaurant the carts come around a lot quicker. The service was great, especially compared with China Garden where you're pretty much ignored the entire time until your check. Other than the carts moving around, there're plenty of waiters standing around that you can always wave to your table and ask for some specific item if you didn't want to wait for that cart to come around. I spilled the spicy chilly sauce all over the table and they cleaned it up quickly and brought out more napkins. Overall, I had a good experience here. It's 5 minutes away from my apartment, so yeah, I'm definitely coming back here whenever that dim sum craving hits!
(3)
Chris C.
My rating in the Nova area, not including DC: #1 Lotus Garden in Vienna, #2 Hong Kong Pearl, #3 Marks Duck house, I haven't tried too many other places so what I'm trying to say is MDH is last on my list. Marks Duck House is really not that impressive, their duck is dry and bland as well as their roasted pig. It appears kind of dirty in there which I wouldn't care about if the food was good. Really unimpressive food.
(2)
Julia N.
This might sound crazy but I was craving Chinese food (insider). So that brought us here. I'm not surprised about this Chinese place being just alright. Wasn't expecting anything more than that. Service was okay. Our waiter seemed to beat around the bushes when we asked him questions about the menu though.. We were asked at least 3 times if our food was okay. Although that shows good attentiveness, it was a little too much in my opinion. Food was typical. I'd have to say the whole fish was disappointing as heck. The black bean sauce could have been mistaken for water and the whole tilapia could have lived in a gold fish tank. It was that small. Yet we paid $20+ for it when we can get a much bigger whole steamed fish with an actual black bean sauce for cheaper elsewhere. Everything else we ate is not even worth mentioning. Hopefully their dimsum is better though. Not a bad place but I wouldn't waste too much of my money here.
(3)
Joseph B.
I came here with family for lunch. Food was average and then towards the end of the meal we found a roach crawling around the table. There are serious cleanliness issues with this place.
(2)
Elvis L.
Grew up coming to this place. The dim sum here has been constantly good. But they really need to expand on the restaurant. Pros: Dim Sun is good Hot entrees is good Cons: Seating Could use a bit of remodeling Messy Restaurant is too small
(3)
Sarah C.
3.5 stars I'm not a foodie....just hungry so it took me forever to try this spot. The better half and I decided to trek over to this area since I had a whole day with him *yay*. Even though it was packed they had plenty of tables for smaller groups like us - the larger groups though had a different experience. This is my first dim sum experience with him. I'm not a dim sum type but this may change. I tried to take as much food porn as possible but sometimes the dish was gulped away before I trigger my phone. Am I being too commercial in saying that I liked the fried shrimp balls? A bit salty but still memorable and pretty too (pretty in my mowf ^_^). I haven't met a shrimp and pork dumpling that I don't like. If you mess that up then... Roast pork noodle crepe??? Right here. Shrimp noodle crepe? Just gimme the skrimps. And where's da fried sesame ball *with fork and chopsticks clinched* I don't like sweet entrees so the roast pork bun was a pass. I couldn't even bite through the shrimp dumplings...too cellophaney if that's a word. Too late it is now. Let's just say HE ate the roast duck. The grassy looking thing later helped the foodfest make it's move through my system. 'Twas a large plate serving for dim sum y'all! But we finished it. My only regret was missing out on the mango pudding....or was it? You may not be so lucky like us in finding a front parking spot right at their door but you'll find a spot eventually. There was a thrift shop in this location but couldn't waddle there due to me belly or I would've popped some tags (too late for this term?).
(4)
Ai C.
This is my favorite local dim sum place. Its usually busy on the weekends between 11-2, so arrive early. 4-5 carts are constantly going around, so you don't wait much. If the dish is cold, they can heat it up for you. Its a moderately priced place, so expect to pay around $50 for 2 people.
(4)
QP L.
I came here for dimsum today and ordered roast pork along with other food. We thought it's regular roast pig like other times we ordered before. When we look at the bill, they charged us $14.95 for one dish, which we don't know which one. It's all written in Chinese in the bill card. I asked and the waiter said it's the roast pig, which is baby roast pig, very expensive ($14.95 for like 6 pieces). We are shocked! We've been to this restaurant many times before and never knew baby roast pig was on the menu cart. I complained to the lady at the register, whom I think is the owner. She said all customers here knew and it's written in the bill card too. That bill card is written in CHINESE (how we're supposed to know?!) and the waiter didn't say anything specially when we picked it out from the cart. The lady also mentioned that they have regular roast pig Mon-Fri, but baby roast pig on Sat-Sun. But today is Friday!!! She didn't apologize or anything. I'm very disappointed in this restaurant's customer service. Will go to other dimsum restaurants in the area next time instead. Be careful when ordering roast pig at this restaurant unless you want to pay $15 for 6 pieces of small baby roast pig.
(1)
Josh C.
Average taste for a Dim Sum place.
(3)
Michael T.
Placed a large take-out order on a Sunday evening. Long wait. When I finally got my order, most of it was lukewarm. Otherwise the food was acceptable, but not anything that I would come back for. The wonton soup came with ZERO wontons. :-(
(2)
Steve W.
OMG what did I eat? Our duck was served raw, you could see the blood on the meat. We brought up this concern with our server and his response? He microwaved the dish and re-served it. Go to XOXO if you're looking for some worthwhile Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)
Shay D.
We stopped coming here because they changed the way they made their chicken feet. The seasoning was off . Also my bf informed me on the way home he saw a bug in one of the dishes. He didn't want me to freak out at the restaurant. GREAT!!! So now we are searching for a new dim house.
(2)
Mischita H.
The hot and sour soup and the roasted duck are pretty good. The fried wonton (think crab ragoon but with chicken) is pretty good but would be much better if there were more filling. The spring rolls -- also chicken filled were ok but a Iittle on the greasy side. The shrimp lo mein wasn't that good - won't be ordering that again! It is nice that they are open until midnight on Fri & Sat.
(3)
Mina C.
Dim Sum Review- I would just say its okay. Its closer to where I am most weekends, and I can go to eden afterwards so I don't mind going to this place. It isn't the best, but it isn't the worst. my preference is oriental east, but that's in downtown silver spring, quite a hike. I like the variety, but sometimes items are cold and rubbery. the people pushing the carts can also be very demanding and persistent.
(3)
Gretchen P.
Probably my favorite dim sum spot in the area, Mark's Duck House is a regular stop on my restaurant rotation (especially when dining out with my mama!). They serve cart-style dim sum for lunch every day of the week, not just on weekends, and always have all the good stuff going: char siu bao, cheung fun, hao gao, radish cake, dan tart... the list goes on! Like with any pull-your-food-as-it-passes type of dining, the bill can add up QUICK, and often our eyes are much bigger than our stomachs. So go with a group, get down with sharing dishes, and enjoy yourselves! Oh, and drink water (LOTS of water), since dim sum by its nature can be pretty salty. Weekday dim sum can sometimes be a little colder, too, since they're not as busy, so don't hesitate asking them to heat something back up. They did a quick re-fry of the fried squid for our table and it was good as new!
(4)
Marada C.
Delicious but make sure not to come here if you're on a budget, unless you're super disciplined! The food here is delicious and very mixed. You have you're typical "Americanese" food, which I've never tried because WHY?! But their Chinese BBQ (we're talking roasted duck, soy sauce chicken, roast pig with crispy skin, BBQ roast pork, etc) pit is phenomenal! Just writing this post makes my mouth salivate. The prices are pretty consistent with the area. Make sure you let them know if you want your meats warmed up, cause they serve them room temperature on purpose to not over dry the meat. Even their menu is delicious, dim sum and all. I consistent spend $30+ or more here when I come for 1 person (usually, there are left overs... usually). The food is delicious and the staff if pretty friendly as well! The prices for the menu tend to be a bit on the higher side as well, but the food quality is delicious so I can't complain.
(4)
Rich K.
The place inside is old and drab.Nothing much for ambience. I don't eat ambience, do you? We ordered crispy quail and shrimp dumplings all tasty and excellent. Then roast duck on rice and moo shu pork.The duck roasted perfect with hints of five spice and soy glaze.The pork with vegetables came piping hot and perfectly seasoned. I commend the chef for not drowning the pork in sauce.Absoultely the best Chinese food in northern Virginia hands down!
(4)
Billy E.
I don't know enough to really judge the quality of dim sum versus other restaurants in the area, but as a casual fan of dim sum I can say I enjoyed Mark's. Everything we got was interesting and tasty, even though most of the time we couldn't immediately tell what it was. Service was very good and you can start eating almost as you sit down. I would definitely come here again.
(4)
Tim H.
Went on a Sunday morning for dim sum. Most of it was excellent and the service was good. Got to the end to find out the little pork dish we got was $14.95! For maybe a 1/4 lb of pork max! Completely absurd and killed the experience. It was marked on the paper where there was no price - just Chinese characters. If you go and they mark there, beware.
(2)
Trinh T.
Our go to for dim sum when my family comes to town! The suckling pig (baby pig) is the best in the area. It gets quite crowded during the weekend peak hours but worth the wait if you craving some dim sum!
(4)
Wesley Y.
Came here on a Sunday at around 4:30. my gf and I were having a lazy Sunday so we missed the usual dim sum hours. The paper dim sum menu prices are INCORRECT. DISREGARD. PAPER. DIM. SUM. PRICES. I ordered a lot more dim sum items then I should have because it was so "CHEAP" only to find out it really wasn't. I think Mark came up to our table to ask how we were doing after hearing the argument that happened ..... While we were waiting for our half peiking duck there was a lot of commotion in the kitchen 2 guys arguing in Cantonese and it was a very heated argument. After a good 10 minutes of shouting and the servers trying to calm the kitchen down a very pissed off looking chinese man came out of the kitchen and sat down at a table. I was hoping a fight would ensue in the kitchen =.=. The dimsum items were all tasty, but not after finding out the prices were changed. They do serve dimsum all day. Can't compare this to New Yorks cheap dim sum spots but it'll do for now. The peiking duck was really good, the server actually rolls your first wrap for you. I would rather wrap it myself but whatever. They show off how pro they are at using 3 spoons!
(3)
Chanel D.
This was my first foray into the world of legitimate dimsum. (Sorry, place that rhymes with Bing Bong.) First, let me say, hooray for the prices. Awesome! We ate like royalty and weren't paupers after the check arrived. I went with a friend who knows his way around the menu and what to expect at a place like this. I don't remember everything we ate because it was a blur of dishes selected from push carts. The crispy duck and vegetable dumplings both stand out in mind. My only ding is that some of the noodle dishes that should have been hot were room temperature. So, that was a little off putting. Make sure that you get there earlier on the weekend because this place can get really busy with the line out the door. So, if they catch you lingering after you've paid the bill, you will definitely get the stank eye. I will definitely go back! Worth a try.
(3)
Clara L.
A decent option for dim sum at Mark's. I will have to say, the variety is not plentiful, but each option is pretty solid. Due to the way they serve the food, some of the dim sum can get a little cold by the time it gets to your table. They should invest in more heated or covered carts. It is not overly pricey, so you can get a good meal without breaking the bank.
(3)
Srta L.
It was all delish. We went there on Saturday morning and let me tell you one of the best DimSums I had in a long time. Service is great as well. I think it was a little overpriced we were 3 adults and 1 kid and the total including tips and taxes $75
(5)
Michael L.
I could not believe how delicious the Peking duck was. I have eaten it in Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver and been delighted. This was better. The Chinese broccoli with garlic was masterfully prepared. The tofu with chili and spring onion was unimpressive.
(4)
AL K.
Review is primarily for the dimsum. We walked in and was warmly greeted in Thai. The wait staff assumed that we were. why? Anyway we were promptly seated and the carts (2) started to roll by. This cart guy was aggressively suggesting on what to put down on our table. He had the the steamed rolls so we ordered a couple and refused some. The next cart was all the fried stuffs which didn't interest us. Limited choices. We ordered young chow on the side to compliment with all the food we ordered. Water glasses were routinely filled and dishes were cleared accordingly. I would have to say that service during this visit was great!! The carpet is nasty and management has to seriously consider changing it.
(3)
Cindy L.
OMG. I was deathly ill after I ate here. I've been here a couple of times but I may never go back from sheer fear. I usually come in for dim sum but this night...THIS NIGHT...it was dinner. It wasn't the FOOD that made me sick...my roomey had the same and she was fine but I didn't like the food that much either...so what do you do when it's bland? You turn to those ever trusty little jars of spices on your table that are available at every Asian establishment. IT WAS THEM. THE CONDIMENTS. Who knows how long or what was in those little dispensers of pain and SUFFERING sitting on the table, waiting, biding their time for their victim. Non-stop barfing for almost 2 days...the suffering was unimaginable. I didn't know myself after those 2 days.
(1)
Jasmine H.
This place is great. I grew up in Hong Kong and this place is the closest to Cantonese food that I have found anywhere in northern Virginia. The dim sum menu is extensive and they also offer a lot of rare stuff like jellyfish, duck tongue, intestine, those sort of things. Their noodle dishes are also really good. Wonton mein is the best in the area. The beef tendon ho fun is also delish. Best in the area. Speaking of which, their tendon casserole is really good too. It comes out on a heated bowl and is sizzling when it is served. Can't rave enough about this place. Yes, sometimes service sucks when they are busy but they have the best intentions. Example: today I went to get some duck to go and asked for two whole roast ducks, chopped. Normally they will give me literally a whole duck chopped, with all the meaty parts AND all the boney parts. But this time they gave me 4 quarters of just meat. No head bones or useless pieces with no meat. I waited a little longer than usual too, so they gave me some tea while I waited and was very polite. Even after my food was ready they told me not to rush and to sit and enjoy my tea before I leave. Nice service.
(5)
Katie H.
This place is under new management, the food serve cold and over cooked. So disappointed, cause it's used to be my favorite place to go for dimsum.
(1)
Kimberly S.
This review is about Mark's Duck House's crispy suckling pig only. My folks live in Falls Church so they are frequently gallivanting all around Eden Center and surrounding shopping centers in search of quick, delicious food. One of their best finds is the roasted pork (or as my Filipino mom calls it "lechon") at Mark's Duck House. Mark's Duck House sells a superior pork product from other Chinese BBQ joints because it is not too salty or greasy, has a perfect fat to meat ratio, and the skin retains its crispy texture even a day after and re-heated! Pick a few pounds up the next time you are heading out to a potluck or family party for a definite crowd pleaser!
(5)
Alida H.
You can usually find me here on Sunday during brunch/lunch hours with my family devouring their delicious dim sum appetizers. I've been to a handful of dim sum places in the DC metro area (fortune, lucky 7, china garden, etc.), and this trumps them all by far. Although it is a bit more expensive than its competitors, its worth every penny. The service could be improved, but the dim sum makes up for it, so that component doesn't even matter. I love their shrimp crepes, shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls and fried taro! Although it can get very busy, it is well worth both the wait and drive to falls church.
(4)
Nana G.
I'll start out by saying that I came here on a birthday lunch for a friend, and one of the hosts basically controlled all the ordering and what not, so keep that in mind when reading my review. First of all, this place is CROWDED on sunday noontime, when we came. We got a reservation but there was a lot of people waiting around by the doors, and every table was full. Said tables in the center of the restaurant floor are incredibly close together and people trying to migrate around them and the dim sum carts coming around makes for a little bit of chaos. I found the chairs around one of the large round tables that I sat at to be far too close to ones at other tables. I was a fan of the rotating thing in the center, really helped us share our multiple dim sum dishes around. The decorations and look of this place are nothing special, very typical local Chinese restaurant. As far as the food itself, the host ordered a bunch of options for us (I did not see the menu or pay so I can't comment on prices). We had some sort of shrimp and lobster dumpling which was pretty good, I really liked the vegetable lo mien. We also had some sort of shrimp dumplings that I didn't like at all, they were very soggy and fell apart easily, the dumpling shell part had a sort of squishy feeling to them and I wasn't a fan of the taste at all. Again, like other people have said, the food wasn't hot as it was being toted around on the carts. I didn't get asked once the whole meal if I wanted a drink by a server, maybe this was just because of my host. We all got waters halfway through the meal. Like other have said, don't expect an attentive server constantly, there's just carts going around. It's loud inside and it was hard to communicate across the table and restaurant. I didn't find the place relaxing due to the loud nature and the people constantly moving around. I suspect the side booths are more comfortable. I had a nice time at my friends party, so I am probably letting this place off easy. It seemed like a popular place despite the Seven Corners Strip Mall location, judging by the crowdedness.
(2)
Julie M.
No. I mean...no. I'd heard good things about the dim sum here, and I'm always happy to find a place with tasty dim sum, but this was not it. The har gau (shrimp dumplings) had a poor shrimp-to-filler ratio and the wrapper was way too thick and slightly undercooked -- proper har gau wrapping is just thin enough to comfortably hold everything together without overshadowing the filling. The jellyfish was underseasoned; it was so bland that I ate less than half and didn't bother to take the rest home (which I NEVER do! One of my most Asian traits is that I hate wasting food). The fried noodles with beef were even more tasteless than the jellyfish. It was clear that the only seasoning used was soy sauce, and I only knew that because the noodles were brown -- there certainly wasn't any soy flavor. And I haven't even gotten to the price yet! Look, I try not to write bad reviews unless the food or service was egregiously awful. But this is an overpriced restaurant resting on the laurels of good WaPo and Zagat reviews from years ago. It doesn't deserve its good reputation. Save your money -- most of their non-dim sum dishes are half the price and taste better at Miu Kee down the road. And the best har gau and xiu mai in Northern Virginia is in the back cafeteria of Great Wall, the Chinese supermarket in Merrifield. You're welcome.
(1)
Bo J.
My husband and I have been regulars at this restaurant for about 12 years now. The food here is always so good. We leave every meal fully satisfied and stuffed. One of our favorite dishes is lobster or dungeness crab in a ginger scallion sauce or Cantonese style. Both are delicious. We also love their Peking duck, we think the best in the area (better than Peking Gourmet and Duck Chang's), the noodle soups (our favorite is the shrimp wonton noodle soup), fried shrimp with head on, fried Chilean sea bass, and fried soft shell crab. The pork chops are another favorite. Their vegetables are always great like pea shoot leaves and sugar snap peas in garlic sauce. When available, they also have a razor clam dish in black bean sauce which is delicious. There is also a server we have been going to for many years named May. She's wonderful and will take good care of you.
(4)
Karlo S.
Come for THE DUCK Stay for THE DIMSUM Yes, it's a duck house. And they do the bird some justice here. It's juicy and very tasty. But I personally come here because it offers by far the best dim sum in the area. You get all the regulars like shumai and hargow but also get some of the favorites you don't always get everywhere like crab-claw shrimp balls and pork/taro dumplings. Weekend dimsum brunch can make you feel like you're in NYC Chinatown, but it's worth the wait every time. Dimsum starts at 10am, which is probably the best time to go. Anytime after 11am may cause you to wait anywhere from 15-45 minutes (depending on how big your party is). Most, if not your entire party should be there otherwise they won't seat you. Though the traditional dimsum on carts are only available during lunch time, you can order any dimsum item through their a-la-carte menu. For non-dimsum food, I've only ordered from the menu a couple of times but the food is tasty and the portions are good. Definitely one of my favorite spots to eat!
(5)
Maricar V.
there are two reasons why we come here... one: the crispy skin chicken with crispy garlic (drool!!!) and two: the sweet tofu (yummy!!).... we order it every time, without fail! there are plenty of other dishes - their menu reads like a book... besides the crispy chicken, we ordered: crispy pork chop (well seasoned and good!), pork fried rice, steamed spare ribs, shumai, seafood pan fried noodles, and chinese watercress with shrimp paste (or kangkong and bagong to us filipinos!).... heres a tip -- for you to order good shumai and sweet tofu, get there early. they often run out of sweet tofu and they only make one batch! the best part of our meal was actually our server -- her name was linda and she was the best ever! totally surprised us with being so great, friendly, attentive, and just on point! we had a big group and i know how frustrating that can be... but not to linda, she took good care of us! i would definitely recommend marks duck house... be warned though, when you eat here, you come out of there smelling like chinese food, so leave your coat in the car and be prepared to wash your hair when you get home...but for the crispy chicken and sweet tofu its worth it!
(3)
Le L.
My boyfriend and I decided to come to this place for their saturday dim sum. I was very surprise that the place wasn't busy and we didn't wait for more than 5 minutes. This is very unusual for a saturday afternoon. After we seated, the servers were nicely ask what we want to drink and eat. The tea was okay and some of the food weren't hot enough. I didn't like when my dim sum isn't hot, that was a negative sign why there were barely anyone there. Every time we eat, one of the server just keep coming back and reached his hand to my plate and pick up stuffs when I clearly didn't say I was done, he didn't even ask anything before he could take my plate. The visit was not very pleasant to me and I will least likely return to this place for dim sum.
(3)
Michael D.
Good dim sum. I live in MD, and there are places in Rockville or Silver Spring which are as good or better. I won't be going back, but if you live nearby, then it may be a fine choice. A few caveats: It's not a huge restaurant, so at around 1pm on a Saturday, they were pretty full, but several of the dishes had circulated a few times, and were cold. Prices are reasonable, but they hustled us to buy some suckling pig, without disclosing the price. Virtually all dishes cost between $4-8, but the pig was $15 for 8 little strips of meat.
(4)
Sasha C.
stayed around the area and looked for good dimsum. it was a tossup between this or pearl's seafood. we took a crap shoot and came here for sunday dimsum. got here early enough and didn't have to wait. the reviews are right in the sense that they do need some updating. but it was clean and service was quick. the min you sit down, the cart comes rolling by. we tried the fried salt n pepper shrimps (yum), spare ribs (yum but missing a bit of garlic), phoenix claws (yum but it was rather cold), shumai (just ok), ha gow (a bit on the mushy side.. oversteamed perhaps), crispy baby pig (so good but so pricey). everything was just a ok. nothing was SO good but it was decent enough to fulfill a craving while spending a weekend in DC. i do wish we tried the duck since they're called a duck house but we just couldn't fit it in our stomach.
(3)
Alan Y.
Mark's is the epitome of solid dim sum at a reasonable price. Try all of their various steamed dumpling dishes and the beef tendon (or stomach), but don't forget to leave some room for one of their to-die-for egg custard tarts! -_-
(4)
Meredith H.
Dependable place for above average dim sum. I've been here 4 times already, and have enjoyed all of the dishes I've eaten so far. Fried Taro, Bok Choy, and Radish Cake are definitely favorites at our table, as well as Pork Buns, Stuffed Eggplant, and Ginger Tofu (served at the end...if you can get it!). Service isn't bad, and I understand just how hard it can be to be attentive to all tables when the restaurant is packed and crowded. Although I enjoy coming when it's busy, as I can see what's on the carts as they're being wheeled around, I would suggest coming during a NON-peak hour (without the carts) after you have discovered what you like. The dishes on the carts can be hit or miss regarding temperature - stone cold Bok Choy isn't all that pleasant. However, if you come when it's dead, and order off the menu, all the food comes out hot and fresh. Also, be sure you save room (and ask for) the ginger tofu. SO DELICIOUS. I've also experienced the oddity of dishes being more expensive than listed on the menu - the next time I go, I'm going to confirm the prices on the menu with the waitress. A couple times, we've ended up paying more than what we would have if the prices on the menu were true. Again, this place is good for above average dim sum - with some tweaking and some precision, I think it could be even better!
(3)
Weixuan F.
Good Cantonese restaurant in VA. I tried to order the wonton noodles with pork but they served the wonton noodles with duck. Anyway, it was very yummy. The baked duck on the top of the noodles soup had very crispy skin and tasty duck meat. Love it.
(4)
Jen A.
I love this place! It's set the bar so high that I don't know if I could eat dim sum elsewhere. I recommend going early - the food is hotter, the options are more plentiful, and the egg custards are still available...yum! There's usually a wait and that's a good sign! Yes, the ambiance is drab but who cares because the food is fantastic!
(5)
Rebecca S.
We went for dim sum a few weeks ago, and I could safely say that I wouldn't go back again. Approximately half the items served to us were cold, and they went and heated them back up in the microwave. If you do decide to go, make sure choose items that are with like items on the carts, instead of pulling something that's with a bunch of different items. They seem to just cart the cold rejects together over and over again.
(2)
Ellie L.
Dim sum was mediocre. Some foods we picked were dry and cold. I had better dim sum that are cheaper.
(2)
Amanda G.
My opinion on the food has not changed (STILL 5 STARS FOR THE DUCK!!!) but I had to write about this one incident a couple visits ago...people need to be aware of the outside of this place. This incident I am referring to happened towards the end of the summer, I came here with my boyfriend, his sister & her fiance. We were almost robbed/killed upon leaving. This is NOT an exaggeration. There were 2 hooded males lurking around the posts, and once they saw us females come out they immediately got behind us until they realized we had men with us and then they pulled back but hung out just feet away from us and watched intently while we got our jeep ready to go. The one closest to us was pretending to be talking on his cell phone but we could plainly see it was the main screen and that he was not on a call. His friend was lurking at the other end of the walkway watching us. The minute we climbed into the jeep they started coming toward us, and luckily my boyfriend believes in being armed at all times, so he turned around and showed him a peek of his gun belt and the two men immediately stopped and signaled to each other and ran away. I'm too scared to come back when it is not light outside anymore or without someone armed. This location is too bad, and I hope to god Marks can move somewhere a little less frightening so that I can enjoy the best duck I ever had without having to wonder if I might get killed when leaving.
(1)
Jinna C.
I've only been here for the dim sum and never had a regular meal here. It's a hit or miss with this place. The wait is also sporadic. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes for a table, other times you dont wait. So the ambiance is just like any other Chinese place - bare bones tables, sauces, and vinyl seats. Once, my friend broke her plastic chopstick - I didn't even know that was possible. You have to be aggressive with the waiters and tell them what you want if you see something you want go by. The food on the carts sometimes are cold, and some weeks they lack variety. When its busy though, the food is hot and fresh. I especially enjoy the chicken egg rolls which have just chicken meat in them without any random fillers which is nice.
(3)
Stephanie N.
The dim sum here is basic. Staff are not very attentive nor friendly. They will only come if you call them or on rare occasions that they come to refill your drink. One big thing is that while eating I saw a server KILL a COCKROACH and acted as if it was nothing! I was absolutely disgusted and I just don't feel safe eating their food. I will not be coming here again.
(1)
Jessica N.
I love marks duck house! Their food is sooooo good & the price is reasonable and the owner is incredibly nice and the servers are nice too. If you havent tried their dim sum you're missing out big time.
(5)
Michelle N.
This is one of my absolute favorite places for dim sum. Warning: come here as early as possible. This place will get crowded with long waits. Other than that, Mark's Duck House is a great place to order roast duck, chicken, or pig to go. They have them hanging up in the front and you can order them to be cut up to go. They also have a really extensive menu if you're dining here for dinner. Check out the peking duck - it's pricey but oh so delicious and crisp. Service is a bit spotty depending on who you get. The place is almost always full which is a good sign of how delicious their food is. The tables are very close so be careful not to scoot your chair back and hit another person.
(5)
Wesley C.
Really good dim sum. My in-laws and brother-in-law's family live in the Chantilly area and we come here pretty much every time we visit them. It is consistently very good and consistently PACKED. You MUST GO EARLY. I have to say, I think they have some of the best baked bbq pork buns around. They're small, but the bread is good, and the filling is awesome. Plus, the glaze that they have on top of the bun is just like icing on top of a cupcake. It's unfortunately not the cheapest dim sum, but I guess when you're in Chantilly, you may have to expect that this ain't no chinatown. I look forward to coming back many more times in the future. And just a note, if you really like chicken feet, AKA, phoenix claw, they are REALLY GOOD here.
(4)
Hunter Z.
Personal favorite. Authentic Cantonese restaurant comparable to Hong Kong Pearl. Must try their oyster - they are huge!!! Try both garlic and soybean sauce flavors.
(4)
Ella C.
nice place fund to go
(5)
Lhynette C. A.
We went here for the Dim sum on Sunday for lunch. The selection was meh, and the food wasn't THAT fresh. It is always a challenge for dim sum places to keep their food fresh while carting all over the restaurant. My favorite go to at dim sum is the chicken feet...and i must say, it wasn't bad, but I've definitely had better. I don't think i'd go back here..at least not for dim sum.
(2)
Elaine A.
Terrible!!!!!!! Ordered salt and pepper squid to go....awful....mixed good squid with retried ones.....hard as a rock!!!!! Terrible....paid 14 bucks !!!!!'n never again!!!!! Aweful!!!!!!!!
(1)
Juliet K.
been here a couple times. once for dim sum and once for dinner. dim sum: it is better than some places. but it is a bit greasy to just beware. i like this place better than fortune on rt 50 because i think it has better flavors, but i like hong kong seafood pearl restaurant better since it is less greasy. so just depends on how greasy you like your dim sum. dinner: ordered kingdom pork. its pretty good, but not the best that i've had. I thought the pork could have been crunchier, and the sauce was a little too sweet. overall, decent chinese food. it seems to be a very popular place so it gets busy. For dim sum, they made us share a table with others but i didnt really mind. its not the cleanest place, or the fanciest - but it definitely get the job done for whatever chinese options you might be craving.
(3)
Michael K.
I've had Hong Kong and then I was introduced to Mark duck...the dim sum comes out fresh, the cart doesn't take forever and a day to get to you and the servers are always on point. The chicken feet have a great flavor and just the right amount of spice. Couldn't be happier, me and my girlfriend go here every Saturday and we have not been disappointed...yet. Black bean clams are excellent as well.
(4)
Tiger C.
The place is like any other smaller Asian restaurant, it definitely cannot be labeled clean but I would not call it dirty either. It definitely has traditional Chinese dishes, and the waiters are funny enough to be on Broadway as extras with one-liners. With those comments aside, the food was real decent. Not amazing but not bad at all. Potstickers were fried up a bit more than I usually have at Chinese restaurants, but the filling was good. The Peking duck was really not bad at all. Peking Gourmet is more traditional with the smaller wraps and the thinner cut onions though. Only thing that I did not really like about the duck was the tortilla was big enough that it seemed to come straight from the Mission tortilla bag that you buy at your local Safeway. Snow pea vegetable that looked like spinach was great. Finally, beef chow fun was decent, surprisingly it was not as salty or oily as other restaurants, but probably what led to its bland flavor.
(3)
Kate O.
I like that they open at 10:00am on Sunday. This gives us enough time between getting up, getting ready, and get there before it gets very busy. This also ensures that the food we get off the dim sum carts are fresh and piping hot. We never had a bad meal here. If you want something and it is not in one of the carts, they will make it for you.
(4)
Mary D.
Not sure what happened to this place, but all the hot food we ordered was cold and prices went up significantly. Two of us used to spend about $30 here, and today we spent $50 for a smaller amount of food than we usually get. Will not be coming back here anytime soon.
(2)
Lindagrace D.
We had my three-year-old's birthday party here because we all LOOOVVVE dim sum (we made reservations 2 weeks in advance)!! We had two large tables of ten, side-by-side. What's nice about dim sum dining in a big group is that everyone is able to select little plates that please them. There is something for everyone! There were even vegetarians in our party that enjoyed the vegetable dumplings (steamed and fried), noodles, and sauteed bok choy. The quality of dim sum here is excellent, and my top picks include: shumai, shrimp dumplings, crab balls, and of course, duck!! We hosted the party, and for 20 heads, the bill was around $340. Not bad, not bad at all for a bunch of happy, smiling, full people. P.S. - This place gets PACKED like a hot nightclub. You will always see a herd of folks clumped up outside the entrance doors, waiting to be seated, so come early!
(5)
Alexis S.
this review is for the shrimp dumplings. there's pretty much nothing else to say except that they are my crack. i love them! i order way too much of it when i go - and they know when i come in that's what i want! :) haha
(4)
Kat M.
Would I go back? Only when I'm really really really craving dim sum. Which may be every few months. I'm from the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, so I'm spoiled when it comes to good and cheap Asian food. I know it's not fair to compare. But Mark's Duck House isn't too shabby. Staff is pretty nice, and the price is right. Major downside is that several of the dishes were served cold...when they weren't supposed to be. But I'm all about getting served food as soon as I sit down. Perhaps the best choice for dim sum in the DMV area...but it won't warrant a 4 or 5 stars for me. Don't expect anything fancy.
(3)
Ajit D.
The food is mostly alright and the service is fast. This is probably the place you want to go to if you like traditional dim sum and know what you're doing in a legit Chinese restaurant. However, I didn't particularly like the service and I prefer fusion style (non traditional) dim sum like Ping Pong. When the lady with the cart rolled around, I asked how much a plate of oysters were. They looked good, but expensive. She said $7, so I thought I'd try them at that price. They were terrible. I really couldn't eat them. When the bill rolled around, it turned out they were $7 each, so $21 for the plate. The price made sense, but it wasn't clear at all. The woman either didn't understand my question or lied about the price. I definitely didn't hear her ask how many I wanted. I mentioned this to the guy who brought the bill and he very much didn't give a shit. So, it turned out to be a pretty expensive meal for something that gave me a terrible stomach ache for hours. Overall, most of the food was alright, but not piping hot (it was noon on Saturday, so I expect piping hot). Stick to what you know when you're ordering and you should be alright. Will I go back? Yes - but only because my Chinese friends and my mom like it.
(2)
Elizabeth B.
I've been coming here for 20 years. In the last five years, they fixed the place up. Great! Then, they jacked up their prices. Like, double what they used to be. Not great. Now, there's a loud noise from the heating system that makes me lose my appetite. Time to find a new favorite Chinese restaurant!
(1)
Mike N.
The Dim Sum here is not as good as other places. They should have a health inspector come in and check up on their restaurant. My girlfriend and I were eating here once and she saw the server pick up a cockroach and kill it with his hands. Ew, wtf...?
(2)
Maria B.
Mark's Duck House has great Peking duck, as the name suggests but I go for the dim sum. I've only been at lunch time so I'm not sure if they do the carts at night. There's nothing fancy or trendy about Mark's dim sum, which is how dim sum should be. Everything I've ever eaten here is solidly good and the prices are fantastic. Great selection and they come around often so you can keep ordering and ordering.
(4)
Jenny E.
I am a huge fan of Mark's Duck House. In my opinion, as good as it gets when it comes to chinese food. I love their peking duck, and its the only place in the DC area that I will get egg drop soup cause their soup is velvety and delicious, not like the gloppy gelatious egg drop soup they serve at many chinese restaurants in the area. It can be a tad pricey but in my opinion it's totally worth it.
(5)
Mychelle H.
I've been going here since I was a child. I absolutely love coming on Saturdays for the dim sum. It's a small place, but there's a variety of items during the dim sum hours. The wait isn't usually too long surprisingly.
(4)
Danny N.
Mark's Duck House is tucked in a strip mall at Seven Corners, an authentic Cantonese restaurant with BBQ and roast meat hanging by the window, and fish and lobster in the tank. I have been here for dinner for many years because I love their fresh and delicious food. A group of us went there for Lunar New Year dinner. When we got there at 6:30pm, the place was mostly empty. By 8pm, the place was fully seated, filled with energy, with additional people waiting for tables. We ordered from the Group Menu (6), family style. We had the BBQ special (roast duck and BBQ pork/char siu), crispy skin chicken, steam tilapia with ginger&scallion (fresh from the tank - it was very good), lobster with ginger&scallion (perennial fave), seafood combination, chinese broccoli, combo fried rice, and seafood tofu soup. Everything was very good except the BBQ pork. While we have ordered from the extensive menu prior, I highly recommend their Group Menu if you have 5 or more in your group. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, and the service was great! The younger owner was walking around, greeting customers and checking on the food/service. As it was the first day of Lunar New Year, he was also handing out red packets (filled with money) to the younger customers... Nice touch, indeed! 1/31/2014
(4)
Virginia C.
People rave about this place but both the food and service are mediocre.
(2)
Elizabeth S.
I love the dim sum here. We usually come here about twice a month on Saturdays. We get here around 10-11am because after that it gets uber busy and you would have to wait for a while. I love the smell of duck that comes to your nose right after you walk in. The service is excellent. I seem to notice that they place servers in certain parts of the floor and they only concentrate on serving those tables. They are very fast at removing your plates and they come by pretty fast with the dim sum. The price is reasonable but not as good as SF or Portland. I can't believe a broccoli dish cost 5 dollars though.... The food seems to never be old because they get so many customers that they always refill. Overall i love this place.
(4)
Tom T.
Dim sum was our goal Sunday and were headed to another location when a buddy texted to pull over and turn around to try Mark's Duck House. The NAME didn't convey Dim Sum but pulled the trigger. The wait wasn't bad as we were near the end of the rush and was surprised by the popularity of the place: packed. Now the discovery phase: what's so good about these people's experience here with Dim Sum? Cart 1 - loaded up with my usual go to dishes and watched where they marked the price on my ticket... Over all the food was ok, staff service not bad and funny. They were attentive and happy all around and even busted on the veteran waiter who dropped a stack of clean dishes. He was busting up laughing about it too as he was razzed by his co-workers, so I saw it was a good place to work for them. Would I go there again soon, perhaps in a year. Nice discovery, average dim sum, good service.
(3)
Jennifer M.
Came here on a Sunday for brunch and saw that this place was definitely popular. We haven't been here for years and thought it was time to give it a try again with all the good reviews. We were seated after about 35 minutes. Prices are ok (only slightly higher) for the area at about $3.50 per dim sum plate. Food is good and the flavors are right. I'm Cantonese and I know/love my dim sum. They don't have much in terms of variety though. However not everything they roll around is kept covered/heated. I also overheard a manager go tell a server to take dishes back to the kitchen for a cook to reheat... so I don't know how long some dishes have been around for the day... very iffy... In the end, a decent place but price, portion, and variety aren't good enough.
(3)
Fouad A.
First of all, their hot and sour soup is some of the very best I've ever tasted. 10 out of 10. (You get a large bowl that serves 2.) But they fall short in some other areas. The most important is the concept of Chinese sauces. Sauces are the heart of Chinese cooking, yet inexplicably they gave us zero to almost none, with our entrees. Also as a Chinese restaurant they don't list Szechuan Chicken, which is my favourite Chinese dish. Their spring rolls are filled with some kind of grey meat, probably pork, and come with inappropriate sauces. Mark's specialises in seafood and duck, so why not fill the spring rolls with seafood (shrimp, for example) or duck? They are in a neighborhood with many Vietnamese, so much so that their English menu has Vietnamese as a second language. Why not serve Vietnamese spring rolls? If they stick with grey meat, how about an appropriate sauce such as A1 sauce? Another suggestion to them is that they serve chicken dishes with white meat rather than dark meat, because most people prefer it. Bottom line so far: The H&S soup is great. I wish we had tried seafood or duck, and I'm sorry we tried the spring rolls.
(3)
Yaima R.
Solidly good dim sum at reasonable prices. I especially liked their roasted duck, very tasty.
(4)
Chris D.
Twenty years ago, my screen name on Prodigy was DimSum. Why? Well, I spent a lot of time at a Chinese friend's house growing up and when creating our aliases, we thought it would be awesome if they were complementary. We also loved food, especially Chinese food. In fact, we ate way too much food. So, after about as much deliberation as overweight pre-teens can muster, we decided on Eggroll for him and DimSum for me. We thought we were clever and were destined to be deemed kings of our ANSI-based text world. At the very least, the ladies would be impressed... wouldn't they? Well, that angle didn't quite pan out but at least the story serves an appropriate (?) context of my love of dim sum two decades later. A love, that as best as I can tell, is the only reason I would wait 50 minutes for a table. I can't remember the last time I waited more than 15 minutes anywhere, but for whatever reason, I was happy to get pushed around a crowded entryway while waiting for our number to be called. Overall, the quality of the product is some of the better in the area. Turnover is high so dishes are usually hot, fresh and delicious. Some items are better than others, but personal taste tends to play a large roll in your preference. Things I can't wait to have again include the fantastic Peking Duck skin, shark fin dumplings and steamed oysters as big as my fist. The sad part of the whole experience, or any dim sum experience really, is that it's over before you even realize it started. I wanted to go back 6 hours later and do it all over again in hopes of extending the enjoyment. I'm not sure I'd wait 50 minutes for a table twice in one day, but who knows... I make poor decisions when they wheel those carts past me every few minutes. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Eggroll and I are not only still friends; he's the one who recommended Mark's to me. That's how we roll. (Horrible pun intended.)
(4)
Ariel H.
Having tried essentially all dim sum places in the DC/MD/VA area, we remain a dim sum regular at Mark's Duck House. The dim sum really is better than what you can get at the other dim sum places nearby (i.e. HK Pearl Seafood restaurant, Fortune at least). Also love their variety of steam dumplings. In addition to the typical ha-gaw (shrimp dumpling), they have chive and shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling, golden mushroom dumpling... etc. Prices are reasonable and service is fast/solid. They get very busy during weekend lunch time, so make sure to come early. I've also been here for normal meals and typically enjoy their yee-mien? (noodles) and stuffed three treasures. They have a standard "cantonese" style menu. Unfortunately, 1 star off for the ambience / cleanliness.
(4)
Grace K.
The side dishes were delicious! As for the duck- I can't say the same. To be fair, it was my first time trying duck but it was a bit too slimy for my liking.
(3)
Ron H.
I was psyched about trying the Dim Sum here, I had recommendations from friends and co-workers, and the reviews on Yelp seemed to indicate this as one of the best in Northern Virginia. Read the warnings about a big crowd so packed the family early and we got to the place at 10:30AM. Well, ok maybe I'm just not a Dim Sum guy, I don't know - but I was really unexcited about most of the selections I ordered except the crispy pork. And the prices were just ridiculous for the amount of food we got. Granted, we got many dishes (I wanted to try everything) but in the end we only had enough left-overs for one carry-out container. Here's the deal, we ordered 2 ice teas, 2 bowls of white rice, a noodle plate, crispy pork, egg rolls, pork buns, shrimp dumplings, beef with flat noodles, warm tofu and sesame rolls and bill came out to $60 + $10 tip = $70. That's kind of steep in my book with only one box left over to take home. The ambviance, although athentic with it's hanging pigs and ducks in the window. is kind of seedy and run-down. The seating is very cramped and you have to maneuver around the carts and between occupied chairs in order to get to the bathrooms. Meh. I might try the Dim Sum experience again somewhere else before I totally write it off as something I'm not a fan of, but I doubt I'll ever be returning here.
(3)
Diana D.
Stopped in this place based on reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. Food was good and fresh. As others have stated if it's not on menu just ask and they will bring it. If your looking for atmosphere, wrong place, if you want good authentic Dim Sum this is your place!
(4)
Leslie J.
This is THE ULTIMATE PLACE in the NOVA area to get dim sum. Must-get: Everything that rolls by you on a cart? Just kidding. Must-orders: - TARO PUFFS and lots of 'em! they are THE BEST around, and to be honest, I think MD makes 'em the best. - Stuffed Crab Claw w/ Shrimp - the sweet OR steamed pork buns - the spare-ribs - shumai - har gow - shrimp rice crepes
(5)
Audrey Z.
The place was dirty and the food was GROSS!!! The server was really nice. So not worth the time and money!!!
(1)
Jane C.
Heard the owner changed, decided to give them another try. It was a good decision - Very good dim sum! Got there Sunday around noon, had to get a number to sit down. Chrysanthemum tea was piping hot, and came with rock sugar. Everything we ordered was tasty, fresh, and yum yum. Especially the roasted baby pig~ Loved it :D
(4)
Jim H.
My goto dim sum place. If you're into authentic chinese food this is the place to go. If your into American Chinese food like general tso chicken try your local chinese resturant.
(5)
Myan T.
Every time I'm in NOVA I make sure that I somehow squeeze in a visit to Mark's Duck House and considering that I've been back about 5 times in the past year, I'm a fan of the place. Had it not been for an unusually upsetting occurrence this past weekend, this review would probably be about 4 stars. My boyfriend and I had dim sum with his father & cousin on Sunday and while we got quite a few dishes, we didn't get anything that was over the top. You can imagine our surprise/horror when the $80 bill came back. We asked the waitress what items were $14.95 and $17.95, she almost smugly told us that it was the dish of 5 slices of roast pork and the little dish of about 4 regular-size shrimp. Additionally, the fried crab/shrimp balls were $8 for a plate of 2 and the small bowl of spare ribs was about $11. Are you freaking kidding me? I am a lover of dim sum and have eaten it all over the US and all over the world and never in my life have I EVER paid more than about $8 for a dim sum dish. The night before, the four of us had appetizers, entres, and a bottle of wine at a restaurant in Dupont and the bill was $100! Ridiculous. NEVER AGAIN. The food is pretty good but my last experience really put me off the place. Not only did we walk away feeling like we'd been ripped off, the process of paying at this restaurant makes you feel like a criminal. Because we asked the waitress to clarify the bill, when my boyfriend tried to go find his father, he waitress snapped at both of us to "sit down." I'm used to be treated like a silly overly-Westernized Asian woman, but I do NOT appreciate being treated like a thief. ...Nevertheless, I am a sucker for a good bowl of Asian ramen so I will probably be back to Mark's Duck House because they have a great selection of ramen bowls for reasonable prices ($8-$10) LOL try to avoid this place for dim sum but if you dare to venture there, make sure you ask for prices as you go along!
(3)
Jim W.
We go here for dim sum. Usually, early so we can get the hot dim sum. On Saturday, April 26, we went after tennis. It was okay.
(4)
Mason B.
Ok. I don't write a ton of reviews and I've really been trying to bite my tongue but I just thought it best to do this. My wife and I were there last Sunday for their Dim Sum. The food was average and we were disappointed at even the duck. I love the idea of Dim Sum but even that turned out bad. So my wife wanted some fried rice and saw it on one of the carts. So she told the guy that when it came around she wanted to get some. He mistakenly or not went to the kitchen and got her a plate of pork fried rice; a huge one to boot. Not only was the place gross and just insanely dirty, but their comprehension of English was nonexistent. To make matters worse, I got a couple things of dumplings. I wanted to know if they had ponzu sauce and got no reply for the guy who was carting it around. I blew it off, no big deal. So we are paying our check and he comes over to a table full of folks and breaks out the ponzu sauce. I was hot = not very happy. I thought their treatment of us, neither one of us are Asian, was absurd. We won't be going back, but I hope you have a better experience than us if you try it out. Just make sure not to try the restrooms out.
(1)
Cyndy K.
9/15/12 Dim Sum @Mark's Duck House is sensational! We consider Mark's our favorite place for dim sum. We love the deep fried taro dumplings and consider it the best we've ever had. The taro dumpling is fried perfectly - a nice delicate crunch on the outside and the tasty taro on the inside. It is well done. The har gau streamed shrimp dumplings are great, the pan fried chive dumpling, shu mai, seafood & golden mushroom dumpling. Also love the steamed pork buns. Reminds me of the manapua from Hawaii. The steamed buns are done very well with a light sweet soft bun stuffed with great flavored pork. Mark's is known for the crispy roast pork - if you love pork you will have to order it! Crispy skin on the outside with nice decadent pork - very yummy! Recommend getting there by 11:30am or you will be with the masses and the chaos and getting hungry by the minute. Service is good and quick.
(4)
Stephanie T.
The dim sum is mediocre and the prices seem to always be changing. The cashier said prices have changed but still no new menu to reflect new price.
(2)
Richard C.
Went here for the first time. Delicious food...I love having carts full of food wheel by me so that I can pick from dim sum to spare ribs. You must get there early as the place gets packed! Service is not awesome but it's still decent. They fill your drinks up pretty quickly and try to be as attentive as possible eventhough it was hectic.
(4)
Chow N.
What better on a cold, windy night after a baseball game but a few bowls of dumpling noodle soup, brisket noodle soup, roast duck, and 6 large steamed oysters with black bean sauce and scallions ($29)? The latter goes great with rice. Pass the chili oil and soy sauce please.
(4)
Nina B.
Oh man, I really wanted to like this place. I was craving Dim Sum like no one's business, and I thought this would satisfy me. But, it was quite the opposite. First of all, they don't provide you with a dim sum menu unless you ask for it. We went on a Wednesday night. Secondly, there are no carts going around offering me the experience I was so desperately hoping for. When I did get my 4-5 plates of food, I was disappointed with the flavor. The steamed dumplings were rather dry, and everything else just lacked taste. I don't think I should have to douse my food in soy sauce to make it edible. Finally, when I got home, the food was causing my digestive system to grumble alot. It was a very uncomfortable night, where I was constantly telling my stomach to shut up. I've never felt so close to being an abusive boyfriend. Is there any really good dim sum in NoVa?
(2)
Meg G.
*This is a solid 3.5 stars* I'm no dim sum expert; but I do know food, so I am ready to review the many mini-dishes at Mark's Duck House. Taro cakes!!! Yum! I liked most of the dumplings. The stuffed crabs were pretty nice! I should've skipped the first round of pork they brought around for the ribs. Sauteed bok choy was pretty good, and I guess the veggie dumplings could be considered a healthy choice. I skipped the mussels, but will definitely try on another visit. I didn't try any noodles, or breads. I guess I was too hungry and eager, initially, to wait until the other carts came around. I ordered duck to go, but forgot to specify Peking duck - womp, womp :(.... Anyway, service is fast and friendly. The prices are just okay. I could eat all of the taro dishes 24/7. It's worth a trip to try. *Sunday brunch (10:00) turned out not to be as crowded as I feared*
(3)
Phuong N.
This place opens at 10am..unlike fortune dimsum, food isn't ready until 20-30 mins after. Our server is an old, slow, and rude man. The kitchen staff that serves the food is rude as well. Not a single smile. Not too impressed. Won't be back.
(2)
Jon H.
I've had some great and some so-so experiences at Mark's. Walk in on a Saturday around noon? No wait, carts are in-your-face, but some of the good things (like turnip cake) are slow to replenish and you end up seeing the same carts over and over again. Sunday around noon? A party of four might wait 30 mins or longer, but the carts are picked clean and you better frenzy when a good one gets to you. Other than that, Mark's isn't too bad. The price is a bit high (two people, not overdoing it just ordering dim sum), can get to like $30. Service isn't too bad (the runners are really fast and clean off tables quickly, but the carts can be spotty and ladies a bit pushy). The food is decent, you got your regular ha gow, shu mai, egg custard pastries, clams, pork spareribs, chicken feet.....the peking duck is actually pretty solid with crispy skins and served traditional style (steamed buns, scallions, sauce). Overall, just a so-so place. Won't blow your socks off, but we all know dim sum in Virginia is either hit or miss or just really too expensive. Mark's puts itself right in the middle.
(4)
Dmitry D.
This place is way over priced. For food that is nothing to rave about. It wasn't bad but I have had better. I would have gave it a three but they felt the need to approach one of the people that I was their with and asked him for a bigger tip. Listen people at marks duck house you are not owed the standard 15 percent it is up to the person giving it to you. And in this case he didn't think your service was worth it.
(2)
Nick H.
Short and simple. Mark's Duck House serves some of the best dimsum in Northern Virginia. As far as quality goes, it's incomparable. So why only 4 stars? It's too popular and too small for that level of popularity. Every time I go with friends, if I've got a group larger than 2, it's generally a 30-60 minute wait. The restaurant feels cramp and making your way around the close tables can be a hassle. Is it worth it for the food? Absolutely. But given that Fortune is across the street, my friends and I will go to Fortune 90% of the time simply because it's more suitable for larger groups and because the wait is generally less. But if you like dimsum at all, you can't really go wrong with either locale. And if you've never been to MDH, then I definitely recommend it.
(4)
Ginger H.
Was starving one night and stopped in. Had to back track to work and brought my husband the other night... simply put FANTASTIC. The service is wonderful and on the simple side... their Shrimp Fried Rice is PERFECT. I tried a seafood dish, chow fun, egg plant dish, duck, several dim sum and all were delicious. I can't wait to return for brunch to just do dim sum!!! Will be a favorite to return to over and over....Just wish it was closer to my house.
(4)
Michael J.
Very good food and excellent service. Again, your typical Hong Kong fare with all the right touches. You can even get dim sum off of their menu in the evening. My friend and I came here for a quickie birthday meal at 10PM on a Thursday night. Below is a short summary of our meal: Crispy skinned roast pork - Top notch. Not very fat nor very dry. Just the right amount of flavor and juice. To get this kind of BBQ outside of Hong Kong is rare and not all restaurants can pull this off. Tender chicken with mushroom clay pot (came out in a steel pot) - The chicken was indeed very tender and the mushroom flavorful. This is a dish that's hard to mess up in terms of presentation but getting the right flavor is difficult. Again, handled very well. (Dim Sum dishes) Shiumai, Shrimp dumpling, Beef meatball - The flavor in the dim sum was very well done and layered. More importantly, they tasted fresh and hot, as if just came out of the steamer. The only blemish is that the shrimp dumpling's skin was very brittle. It falls apart easily upon contact. That's usually not very good. Anyway, not a big deal, but just saying. Mango pudding - this is by far the BEST mango pudding I've had outside of Hong Kong. They had fresh, cubed mangos inside the pudding. The flavor was just right, striking a fine balance between sweet and tangy. You can tell they used fresh ingredients as opposed to processed mango flavoring. I will definitely get it again when I go back. My only complaint is the place is VERY FAR from metro and hard to access by bus. Basically, you can only get their by car. If not, I'll be going back every week. Highly recommend for those who love Cantonese food!!
(5)
Jessica H.
DIM SUM REVIEW. This is the only place in NoVa that I'm willing to go for dim sum. You MUST arrive by 11am, 11:30 at the latest. Otherwise you will be crammed into the tiny space at the front with all those other people for a very long time, waiting for a table. You put your name on a list, they give you a paper slip with a number on it, and then you wait. And wait. I'm used to New Fortune in Gaithersburg, which is approximately 100 times the size of Mark's Duck House. (Give or take.) But this place still has carts, and has most of the same food I'm used to. Sticky rice in banana leaves! Stir-fried string beans! Dumplings of various kinds! Chow fun! You might have to ask a couple times if there's some normal dim sum food that you want that you don't see, because they probably have some made and just didn't bring it by your table yet.
(4)
James L.
Had dim sum in several places in the US, namely San Jose, Philly, Orlando, Austin, etc....This is our second shot here at Northern Virginia. Our first experience after moving here being Hong Kong Pearl, which was actually above average despite the long waiting line. Food here deserves some compliments in their roasted BBQ and chicken feet. However, their dim sum dishes were simply mediocre. The tofu wrapped roll was not greasy (which is good) but had very plain taste in them, stuffed with mostly pork (a proper tofu wrapped roll should include bamboo shoots, water chestnut, and sometimes some fungus). They simply don't serve good dim sum. Above Pars: 1. Service - Service was fast and friendly, even though we were seated at the corner, the food carts kept coming without long waits. This is always a plus for dim sum restaurants. 2. Roast Pork - Good HK style roast dishes. I bet their roast duck is good. 3. Chicken feet - Their chicken feet were pretty good. Might not have the best flavor, but they do cook them thoroughly. Sub-Pars: 1. Pan fried leek buns - $3.50 for 3 leek buns? This is the most expensive leek buns I've ever eaten, and it's not even good at all.....Too little leek in it, and they were not brought out on a pan fried cart which keeps the heat in it. 2. Transparency of their pricing - $14.95 for a small dish of baby roasted pork? And you've read about the pan fried leek buns mentioned above......I don't like to go around eating dim sum and ask for the price of each dish, and I believe most people don't like that as well! I ended up eating three $3.50 dishes and a dish of baby roasted pork, paid more than $30 for two people........Out of all the places, I've never paid more than $22 for two people servings......You'll just have to give it a try to understand what I'm talking about...
(1)
Sridhar S.
At last search for a good Chinese restaurant in the NoVA is over. The food keeps coming in carts, you can pick and choose what you want. Went for variety of dim sums, bbq ribs, spicy chicken noodles and finished off with their special tea. Service was fast and friendly. Must for any Chinese food lover. Hunt continues for a good Chinese buffet.
(4)
Jenny S.
This review is only for their dim sum since that is the only time I ever come. I've been to Mark's Duck House at least a dozen times just for dim sum. This is my go-to place since heading to Maryland is too much of a trek for me. The dim sum here is great- the shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls, fried taro, steamed dumplings, shrimp crepes and pork buns. Of course, every now and then you will find yourself eating a luke-warm place since the food has been sitting on the carts longer, but that is to be expected. Service is fine, nothing worth noting. I never have had an issue asking for the bill or a fork or my water refilled. Sometimes, service may be slower since this place is always pretty crowded on the weekends during dim sum hours. Even though it's packed, the line moves along fairly quickly. I don't think I've ever waited more than 30 minutes to be seated. With consistent food over the years I've been here, Mark's is definitely my go-to dim sum restaurant. There is a reason why this place is still around after so many years (and so packed), the consistent food hasn't changed much and people can rely on that. Just writing this review makes me want to eat there now!
(4)
Elina Y.
First visit was mediocre. Service was alright, nothing to scream about but not lacking. The shrimp in lobster sauce was alright as well, nothing out of the ordinary. Second visit was on Christmas Day for dim sum around 11am. CRAZY MISTAKE! We waited 45mins and the house was PACKED! My Chinese friend totally recommended this place for dim sum since I am not a native. Was I satisfied? Well... -Chicken feet: Ridiculously salty. -Dumplings: Almost cold. I asked for warm dumplings and the guy just reheated mine. How did I know? I took a small bite of one of the dumpling and they came right back to me. I was expecting a new plate of them. =/ Perhaps they were not up to par with their food because it was so crowded? I hope so....willing to give their dim sum another try on a non-holiday day since they come highly recommended. P.S. Their seating arrangements are very congested.
(3)
Rose N.
My go to for dim sum Sundays! The wait is always ridonkulous, but its the only decent dim sum place I know of in NOVA. Hot, fresh dim sum for sure. This place is always packed on Sunday. Sitting on the left side of the restaurant puts you at a disadvantage because once the carts stroll down to all the hungry restaurant goers on the right, all the good dim sum choices disappear quickly, esp the shumai (my favvvvv). We were really craving fried chicken too so we order their half crispy fried chicken (definitely not what we were expecting), it was ehh. I think I'll just stick to the dim sum.
(4)
Minwoo J.
Honestly I understand others comment during lunch time. I have been to lunch for dimsum which was a-okay, since I live in MD I went to better place for dimsum. However! I love this place for pecking duck. I mean I had pecking duck from Pecking Gourmet Inn but when I found this place I stop going to PGI. Name of the restaurant is Mark's Duck House. Have a duck!
(5)
Tan T.
Love this place! Food is good for the money.
(4)
Lan T.
I don't get out to Falls Church often, so when I do, I try to get my Asian fill. For my most reason trip I decided to check out Mark's Duck House. First of all, it too me FOREVER to find this place. I drove around several times until I found the place. Its in a strip mall called Willston or something that has a CVS and TD Ameritrade and next to some tequila bar or something. Anyway, on to the food! I ordered carry out. The guy taking my order was really nice and helpful. I ordered combination pan fried noodles, meat dumplings, shrimp dumplings, shumai, and chive and shrimp dumplings. The noodles were good, just what I expected. It had a combination of scallops, fish balls, beef, chicken, and other stuff in it. Although it seemed like there was only one or two of each thing in there. I think my favorite dumping was the chive and shrimp. The other shrimp dumpling and shumai were good as well. I guess the only dish I didn't really care for was the dumplings. I thought they would be the dumplings with the soup in them, but these looked and tasted like steamed pot stickers. The wrapper tasted fresh like they made it in house or just wrapped it recently, but I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. Anyway, I'd go back to Marks for dim sum. I ordered take out around 6pm, so their dim sum selection was a bit limited. Ok, so for the weird parking lot experience. I sat in my car to wait for my food. I was playing games on my phone, and I noticed from the corner of my eye, some guy that was just hanging out behind my car. He started wandering around my car, then wandering around the car next to mine, looking in the cars to see what was inside. Anyway, that freaked me out, so I moved my car to around the corner. Even after the weird parking lot guy and having to drive around a few times until I found the place, I'd go back to Mark's to try the other dim sum options. OINK!
(3)
Matthew M.
Today I had Dim Sum and it was delicious, The roast baby pig was crispy and moist, and BBQ Ribs are amazing!!!..My friend had the roast duck and said it was juicy and crispy as well. I can not wait to go back next week
(5)
Chris G.
Everything at marks duck is awesome. Basically. The general Tso's is sooooooo good. The bean curd is awesome. My mom gets a lot of their fish dishes, and they are really, really good as well. The service is super friendly and if you go frequently they will remember you. Just a great place for chinese, I go every time I'm in town.
(5)
Jenny T.
Best authentic Hong Kong style dim sum I've found thus far in DC area and pretty great dinner selection as well. I definitely frequent this place. Food is fresh and delicious! Special dim sum menu on weekends. Opens at 10am, but there is usually a crowd waiting, so arrive fairly early if you don't want to wait. The later you are, the more likely you'll need to wait ~30 minutes. There isn't a large area to wait, and everyone gets little cutout numbers...it's a crazy system, but it works! Staff is pretty helpful, but it gets pretty hectic during the special dim sum hours. All other hours, I have no problem with getting attention. For those of you who aren't familiar, they have ducks hanging in the front window! Get the Peking Duck if you've had it; you won't be disappointed. (It's pretty much like...duck burritos, except the sauce is absolutely amazing and almost MAKES the dish)
(5)
Kat B.
4.5 stars rounded to 5. I've been here twice so far with the family. I used to think Peking Gourmet had the best duck but I've changed my mind! It's definitely Mark's Duck House...their duck is glazed with a really delicious sauce that reminds me of Chinese red roast pork (Char Siu). Contrary to Vivian C. I actually prefer their thin style of pancake over the regular style. The steamed ones can get soggy pretty quickly...either on the table or if you get take out in whatever bag they put it in. Even better than the duck though are their GARGANTUAN OYSTERS. Supposedly they aren't on the menu so it might be a good idea to call ahead and see if they have them. The oysters are lightly steamed and served with a really light but also extremely flavorful ginger scallion soy sauce. You can also order them fried (mother-in-law said was delicious) or with a black bean sauce which I haven't tried yet. I also really liked their snow pea shoots and seafood fried rice. The fried rice was packed with scallops, shrimp, crab, and salted fish and the rice wasn't too greasy. it was some of the best fried rice I've had in this country. I only have a couple things I can nitpick about: 1) their fresh fish was overcooked and a bit tough but the sauce was really good and 2) the sauce for their eggplant dish is a bit too sweet/sour for my liking and the skin is a little tough. It reminds me too much of hot and sour soup/fake Chinese takeout. They would be better off using smaller/younger Thai or Chinese eggplant. Their service is really efficient and friendly, even when the restaurant is totally packed. Plus at the end of the meal they gave us some duck carcasses upon request to take home so my mother-in-law could make some stock. The decor and ambiance could be a little better but honestly the foods so good that you have tunnel vision during the meal and only notice when you leave/enter! I don't feel as claustrophobic here compared to Peking Gourmet when they are equally packed. I'm looking forward to the next time I come here...and the mutant oyster!
(5)
Win C.
First time in VA, we went to visit a friend's brother and we decided to have dim sum before we leave. He recommended this place and I loved it. I wasn't expecting much from this place because I thought it was going to be very Americanized based dim sum, but they did keep it traditional. The flavors were packed I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(4)
John D.
The staff are clueless. One guy kept bumping into me every time he refilled our waters, and didn't even acknowledge it. I swear that I was going to eventually lose it. Then we ask for some custard buns, which we saw on the cart. They come by with some egg custard. No, custard buns. They have to grab someone else, and they "educate us" that they don't have custard buns, only pineapple buns. So we take those, cut one open, and we see that it's pineapple custard. OK man, whatever. The last thing that really grossed me out was when the servers refilled our waters each times, they put their hands on the rim of the glass. Pick up a glass and put your entire hand around the rim. Would you want to drink out of a glass where the person's hand is mixing everyone else's saliva with yours? No thanks. I stopped drinking water after seeing this multiple times. I can only imagine what might be happening in the kitchen where you can't see.
(2)
Nick A.
I don't know who Mark is, but he nailed it with his fowl house. A crap-load of food for not a whole lot of money - that was my take away. While this is normally the case with a lot of Chinese food places, the difference here was that it was actually really good. The menu is huge - with tons of choices. Lots of these look really good, and everything that we tried was excellent. Somethings, I'm not so sure about, but still really wanted to try - if you have had the Duck Tongue, please get in touch with me, because I am dying to know a) if it tastes good, and b) if the plate looks as hilarious as it does in my imagination (a bunch of triangular little duck tongues arranged in a rosette.) Duck-wise, do yourself a favor and get the duck; it's excellent, and a little less pricey than some other places in the region. Will be back, and definitely to try the dim sum!
(4)
Allen T.
I decided to try this place after seeing the good mentions about their Peking Duck. Should have stuck to the stereotype; why in the world would you order this dish at a Cantonese restaurant? Well, let's just say, this was a rookie mistake. We ordered a few dim sum dishes as appetizers and these were fine, except that the fried stuff were no longer warm, let alone hot. My wife was in the mood for Peking Duck. We didn't want to drive all the way to Tyson's Corner to China Wok and I think Peking Gourmet Inn is too expensive and over rated. It took forever to come out, but we didn't call ahead, so it is to be expected, but what they served us was the worst rendition of this dish I have ever been served. The meat was cold; it was not sliced properly. the skin was brown rather than golden and was heavy rather than light and crispy. Either this was an anomaly or the rest of you who said good things about their Peking Duck just have no idea what good Peking Duck is suppose to be like. Anyway, I'm sure they do the Cantonese standards fine, but stay away from their Peking Duck.
(2)
Ross M.
I haven't been here in years, but I was in for a surprise. The food quality and service is a lot better than what I remember. China Garden can go F themselves. Bunch of amateurs over there. jasmine tea - okay crispy pork (lechon?) - good (thanks Kim V.) har-gow - good shoe-my - good chicken feet - good (easy peppery-spicy flavor) jew-chow-shau-bau - okay (when they aren't piping hot, they taste frozen-made) pineapple bun - i don't order anymore, freaks me out $37 for 2, friendly service, fresh food (we got there at 10:50am though), in and out in a jiffy. I heard Red Pearl in Columbia closed, so sad. Let's see how HKP and MDH go against each other since they are only 100 yards apart.
(4)
Mia M.
Mark's Duck House is pretty good food, probably one of the best places around here for dim sum, but it's expensive enough that I won't be coming back for a long time. Some dim sum, 2 menu items: noodles and chicken, and $2.25 tea = nearly $70.00 lunch for 3 people. Best advice is always check the price before ordering off the cart. We didn't realize the saucer of baby pig is $15, that's what did us in. Their Peking duck is gooood.
(3)
A.R. P.
As diverse a menu as Mark's Duck House offers, it is rather perplexing why it chooses to feature "duck" in its name. Why single out the duck to the exclusion of everything else? In fact, the curious phrase, "Chinese Seafood & Grill Restaurant" appears on its menu; and, a perusal of Mark's offerings lists shrimp, scallop, clam, oyster, lobster, fish, and crab specialties. They even have a heading featuring, "conch, squid, and cuttlefish." Without a doubt, seafood has a much more prominent place at Mark's than duck. However, as I wandered in for a late dinner, I was not going to allow all of these seafood items to dissuade me from ordering the duck. I mean, really, if Mark's is, in fact, a "duck house" as it claims; then, the roast duck surely must be pretty good, right? Well, so much for logic. The duck, actually, was not very good (at least, not on my visit). While the chef did not take the duck from the window display and egregiously microwave it, he did not necessarily find a satisfactory way to crisp the skin. Although I could tell that it had been flashed with hot oil, the result was only mildly effective as the skin was still more moist than crispy. And, despite possessing the traditional Chinese spice rub on its interior carcass, the duck was largely flavorless. To Mark's credit, it did serve a portion of vegetables with the standard roast duck on rice platter. Some of its nearest competitors may literally offer simply duck and rice (like Full Kee); some places (like Miu Kee) may generously serve yu choy (a Chinese leafy green vegetable). Mark's is somewhere in between these two extremes in offering nappa cabbage along with the duck. However, the nappa cabbage that accompanied the duck was grossly water-logged and overcooked. It seemed like it had been festering for hours in a cauldron of boiling water. It was totally bland and unappetizing. Wow... Really, if Mark's is a "duck house," then that sure doesn't bode well for duck houses. Maybe, I should amend that old test of inductive reasoning. Surely, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then, it's probably going to end up being a sub-par meal at Mark's Duck House." Sad, isn't it?
(2)
Sinbat S.
Stopped going there over 2 years ago for one reason: While sitting there eating with my family, I saw a cock roach crawling on the wall next to me. If you can eat your food while this is happening, be my guest.
(1)
TJ M.
How disappointing! I went here over a year ago and loved it. However, I went back recently, and wow, it was actually bad. For whatever reason, there were at least 2-3 dishes that were cold. You'd think they'd at least recycle/reheat a dish if it's been sitting for too long? Anyway, shame on me, I should have been more careful. But my stomach was angry at me later. If you keep an eye on what you're ordering, you should be able to avoid this problem. That being said, I expect better from a restaurant.
(2)
Lauren D.
Worst Dim Sum that I've ever had. Mediocre Chinese food, interior looks like one of those places on tv that is on a restaurant makeover show. Server sat down to eat lunch with other staff right next to us. Overall waste of time and money.
(1)
Gregg M.
In the never-ending pursuit of good dim sum, the Yelp Community offered up their recommendations on the best the area has to offer and Mark's Duck House was one of the more popular picks. Some friends (and fellow Yelpers) and I met Eric O, the Sensei of the Haiku Yelp Review, and a group of his friends (and fellow Yelpers) at Mark's for a Saturday afternoon dim sum feast. Having never been to Hong Kong or elsewhere in China, I have no idea what a truly authentic dim sum house should look like, but Mark's looked and felt like some of the better dim sum places that I've been to on the west coast...Chinese women pushing carts of steaming hot goodness, lots of multi-generational Chinese families enjoying a family meal, and lots of Chinese being spoken. Since my part of the group arrived a few minutes late (damn the traffic!), the rest of the party was already in full feed mode by the time we sat down. Sitting down was little bit of a challenge since the restaurant was packed and probably violating the fire code for exceeding its maximum capacity. The dining room layout coupled with the mass of humanity made it difficult for the food carts to maneuver and make their appointed rounds. Although Mark's is a relatively small restaurant, they only had three carts, at most, on the floor at any given time. That coupled with the lack of maneuvering room, made it take a bit longer than it should for carts to come around. By the time the food carts did make their way to our table, the food was sometimes cold or at least tepid (ex. roasted duck) or they were out of the selection we wanted (ex. fried sesame balls). Not to dwell on the negatives, despite the crush of diners, the service was quite good. Dirty plates were taken away regularly and we never waited any length of time for our water glasses and pots of tea to be refilled. Mark's Duck House did offer up some flavorful dim sum...certainly the best I've had in the area, so far....for a very reasonable price. When a party of eight can eat till they're full for less than $20 per person with tip included, that's good value! Needless to say, I'll be back!
(3)
Mark S.
Went here for Dim Sum a few months back. It was very disappointing. The food seemed soggy and greasy. Just didn't have the 'flavor' of other Dim Sum spots. Fortune across the street is much better and is bigger. I felt very cramped sitting inside Mark's Duck House. There are other Dim Sum places in the area that are better. I can't comment on their other dishes.. so this review is just for their Dim Sum.
(3)
Eric O.
Five or more people definitely calls for a reservation. Four hundred dishes is approximately what we ordered, give or take. Three dishes were disappointingly not readily available: luóbo go (daikon cake), sweet tofu dessert, and sesame seed balls. Two hundred thousand calories were consumed, at least. One wonders where Megan J and Jesse will take us next...? ;)
(3)
Amanda E.
Mark's Duck House has slid in as a later night favorite for noodle soup. Huge, steaming bowls of egg noodles and fish balls, or noodles, roast pork and wontons are my go-tos. Our fav greens are the watercress with bean curd paste. If you're up to try something beyond the usual Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, give them a shot. The peppery greens with the piquant bean curd paste is a perfect side to their soups.
(4)
Oliver J.
The reviewer before me paid $15pp... haha well let's just say we ate more than double that amount per person (no extra drinks or anything). I thought it was fabulous. The hot dim sum was great. All the dumplings, the veggies, the awesomeness. I'd try and explain the dishes I liked... but they all seemed like different forms of dumplings... idk. The duck or port with the crispy fried skin was cold, why? The pork ribs were cold, why? The pork bus were too doughy. The tea was meh. The staff kept touching the tops of my tea mug and water glass.... were they born yesterday? I have trouble giving this place lower than four stars because for the price and seemed like quality of the food... it all worked from me. I could eat here once a month.
(4)
Francis L.
Mark's Duck House provides the Norther Va area with a place to go for Chinese comfort food. Roasted meats (hanging chicken and ducks and pigs) and dim sum is what the place is know. For and Marks does both better than most for the Mid-Atlantic region. While not on par with the restaurants in the major Chinatowns in America the food is pretty authentic. The noodles are pretty authentic and good in a pinch. Overall if you are looking to find a pretty authentic Chinese food experience in the NOVA area you should at least give Mark's Duck House a shot.
(4)
LanChi N.
I've been going here since I was a kid from when it first started in Eden Center as a small compact restaurant serving Mi Noodle Soups,Carry Out and other dishes. But now it has become"THE DIM SUM PLACE"'. Everyone and there moms' are here every weekend. They have the most variety that i've seen for dim sum. There is always hot food coming out of the kitchen. Although what i've noticed is that between the hours of 1:00-1:30 is when most of the better dishes that you usually don't expect at dim sum come out. One thing to remember is to be patient because all the dishes that pass by may look really good but some may just be eh...decent. We usually get pretty decent service...it may also because we go here so often lol. Either way the food is good and is worth the wait if your willing to wait for it. Or if your your just in the mood for good chinese cuisine that isn't americanized this is a place to go.
(4)
Megan J.
Nine Yelpers sat down at the table And ate as much as were able Dumplings were stand-out But sesame balls were ran-out All in all, though, 'twas the dim sum so fabled!
(3)
Dana V.
Always reliable, excellent dim sum and friendly service. We love going here for New Year's Eve or any other time. Very reasonable prices.
(4)
Jackelyn A.
I had the Shrimp Dumplings from this place and they were so delicious! However, I soon became very upset and disappointed. Their Shrimp Dumplings are cooked with Pork fat!! I do not consume pork and I was disappointed that they did not mention this on the menu. Perhaps they should include that this dish is not just shrimp.
(2)
Kozmeaux D.
Late review; sorry. This might be the last time I patron this place. Crowded for sure, but that doesn't mean its a good place. Dim sum was luke warm and flavorless.
(2)
Vivian C.
Let me first start of by saying the service is wonderful. In many Chinese restaurants, the focus is not so much about customer service (ie: returning to see how satisfied customers are, refilling water, etc). The staff at Mark's Duck House is generally very friendly. The food was okay. Our table ordered the Peking duck, Sweet & Sour Spareribs Hong Kong Style, Diced Chicken w/ Anchovy & Eggplant Casserole and a blood cake dish. Keep in mind my family is Chinese. We tend to order dishes white Americans and non-Chinese folks are not too familiar with. The Peking duck wasn't the best I have tried mainly because the pancakes were very thin and dry. I'm used to them coming out steamed, moist, and of medium thickness. The duck itself was delicious: the skin was crispy brown and the duck meet wasn't to fatty. Like I said, though. Peking duck only has a few ingredients so not satisfying one of them definitely affects my views on this dish. The Sweet & sour spareribs are always delicious, but the portion is small for the price ($15). The spareribs were VERY small compared to the same dish from, say, XO Taste nearby. Very delicious, but not worth $15. The Diced Achovy & Eggplant casserole was delicious, but be careful not to dig right into it. It comes in a hotpot and is SUPER hot when the dish comes out (the waiter gave us a disclaimer). The anchovy is almost invisible and is basically salted fish. The eggplant is in chunks and the chicken isn't seasoned, but somehow everything goes well together. The blood cake dish is a dish Chinese people are familiar with. It is literally duck blood dried into cubes. Hence called cake blood. The dish also includes the kidney of a duck as well. I wouldn't say its delicious, as the cake has a minerally finish, but its not bad. The texture is that of jelly, sort of, but the flavor isn't something to shy away from. Give it a go, adventurous one =) I didn't give this place a 4 because I'm not a fan, but giving Mark's Duck House a 3 doesn't mean I dislike it. Like it says, this place is okay!
(3)
Isabella W.
Decorated with the usual Chinese restaurant tackiness, Mark's Duck house offers some good dishes to satisfy the need for real Chinese food. We ordered: ------------DISH--------------- ------I WOULD------- Dumpling Noodle Soup Pass Peking Duck w/pancakes Order again Chicken Fried Rice Pass Chinese Watercress with garlic Order again The dumpling and the fried rice were not stellar just plain and edible. The peking duck is deboned and you do not get the bones to go even when you paid for the whole duck nor see them slicing it in front of you, I do feel kind of cheated on that. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, even more after I spoke Chinese to her.
(3)
Cynthia L.
*I haven't eaten here, but I've carried out their peking duck. About $25 for a whole duck, nicely marinated and meaty, unlike other places I've been to. It's right next to Eden Center and always packed whenever I visit. 4 Star because I can't say anything about their food yet & because when I paid with credit card, they add a "surcharge" to your bill.
(4)
Cecile K.
[This review is for their dimsum and duck] Good dimsum seems hard to find in DC/VA area, so my friends and I scoped out a few before choosing here (China Garden was a close second). Those who aren't familiar with dimsum in general (myself included since I have only gone a handful of times), the best time to go is for lunch on the weekends. Not only do you get a wide variety of selections, but also see the waiters and waitresses pushing metal carts with delicious goods to pick-and-choose from. (For me, that is half the fun.) My friends and I went for dinner on a weekday. Despite being skeptical, we still went because their website listed a dimsum menu (with pictures) for dinner/weekday. They said it was "limited", but we had no idea that it meant "hardly any food". The waitress was curt with us and seemed baffled why we were even asking for dimsum. She would respond with a "No. We out." whenever we would point at a particular dish on the menu (the carts were not there). We narrowed it down to about 4, 5 dishes split among five people. It was not enough, so we also ordered the duck. The few dishes we had were very good. I particularly remember their Sticky Rice (3 per dish) and their Sesame Balls (3 per dish). The food came out quickly and was hot, chewy, and flavorful (not too salty or oily like other places). The prices are a little higher than what you expect at a dimsum restaurant--I think we paid $4 or $5 for each dish. The amount per dish was a good size for 1-2 persons, not ideal for a group--unless you go on the weekends. Also, "sharing" dishes are hard since each dish comes out with 2-4 pieces of food. Unless you want to be THAT person and say, "This one is mine. Don't touch. But can I have some of your pork belly?", you will hardly get your fill. The duck was a little on the oily side. (My duck dish was glistening by the time we finished dinner.) It can stand on its own (great taste and consistency), as long as you don't compare it to Peking Gourmet Inn. One thing it does beat out is the price. We had a full duck and was pretty surprised at what the bill came out to. Overall: -Go for the duck -Go for the dimsum but only for lunch on the weekends when they have the carts -3 stars bc of the limited selection of food, even though their dinner/weekday still displayed a good amount -3 stars bc the food was delicious, even with the two, three available dimsum dishes they had
(3)
Jen F.
I had high expectations for Mark's Duck house and sadly, it was a disappointment. We came here strictly for the Dim Sum and they seemed to have nothing left on the menu! Did you not restock your kitchen? What is up with that? The best dish was BY FAR the Mango pudding, which wouldn't be enough for me to come back to this establishment.
(2)
Michelle D.
I recommend this restaurant if you want to eat dim sum because I liked the experience of picking dim sum from the cart. If you like tea, I recommend drinking Chrysanthemum tea and letting the tea bag soak for a few minutes. Then if you want it sweet, gradually add a spoonful of sugar cubes to it. I added 3 spoonfuls to our teapot. If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, I recommend ordering a couple of different plates of dim sum before 2pm on the weekends. I went on a Saturday and the restaurant stopped serving dim sum on the cart so I wasn't able to see what the food looked like. I like picking from the cart because I could point and ask what ingredients were inside. Otherwise you may make the mistake we did on our first visit which was to order chicken feet:)
(4)
Christy L.
Good won ton soup if a bit salty. Spring rolls fried hot and including meat which surprised us. Glad we came in for some comfort food.
(4)
Eric N.
I absolutely love the rice porridge with pork and extra preserved duck egg. It is my favorite dish here. I know it's so easy and simple, but they get it right here. Don't forget the fried bread stick. The sauteed chives and organs are delicious with rice too. Their mapo tofu is great with rice as well. Dim sum is sub par to me though.
(4)
Sunah J.
I think this is the place to come on weekends. I was here on a Saturday afternoon a couple months back and it was super crowded and they carted all the dim sum around the restaurant and you got to pick what you wanted to eat. I'm here today on a Monday night and literally... My table is the only table occupied. We ordered a lot of foods so that we could try a little bit of everything. Here goes what I think of each one: 1) Combination lomein - sucks. There's no flavor and the seafood doesn't seem fresh. 2) Ribs - delicious! Full of flavor and comes out really hot right out of the steamer. 3)Duck - maybe the main reason to come here. It's really fresh and they give you a good portion for the price. 4)Roasted pork - tastes just like it does in China. I don't love all the fat attached to it but I guess that's what makes it delicious! 5) Dim sum (dumplings) - they were alright. Not amazing and not bad. Just okay. Service was good. They were attentive and the food ordered came out very fast. Will probably be coming back again if I'm in the area and craving dim sums!
(3)
Lisa N.
Terrible service. I ordered a whole roasted pig for my dad's retirement party (that's the only thing he wanted) a week ahead of time. They charge about $13/lb and mine was 35lbs so after a "20% discount" (that they give to everyone), it turned out to be ~$365 + tax. I talked to John and told him specifically that I was coming at 10AM and that I wanted it chopped. I come in at about 10:45AM (I purposely told them a little earlier to make sure that it'd be ready) and turns out they gave my pig to someone else. WHAT THE HECK. I told the lady there that I needed my pig chopped because we didn't have the tools to chop a whole pig/make it pretty. She told me they were short-staffed and that it would take 2 hours. TWO HOURS?! To cut up a pig?! That they had promised to cut already?! I couldn't wait that long because I had to do a bunch of other errands before my dad's party so I just took the whole one... No apologies or anything. Unfortunately, Mark's is one of the few places in NoVA that actually offers a whole roasted pig for special occasions like weddings... I wouldn't recommend it, though, because they are really unreliable. TLDR: They gave my pig to someone else and didn't do anything about it or say sorry. We ended up cutting it ourselves. Even though it tasted good, it didn't look good.
(1)
Eric J.
Dim sum dim sum! If they don't have a dish that you want you can always ask them to make it! I asked for the zhaliang; theirs was okay.
(3)
Leslie Y.
Not impressed with this place as I came and am visiting from out of state. We have been there before, and we had high expectations, but it was disappointing. Most of the platters coming out were lukewarm. I used to love the plates coming out in a cart, but now that I am living in Chicago and there are made-to-order plates, it is way more fresh and better tasting. They told us that one of our plates was freshly prepared as we had requested, but it was just lukewarm. Service was okay, but you do feel a bit rushed on Saturday lunch time... It was an okay dim sum experience, but there hopefully is better out there!
(2)
Britt C.
Great food but horrible decor. The carpet is sticky and overall in desperate need of renovation.
(3)
Nicole G.
Came here for Saturday morning dim sum on Mother's Day weekend with a group of 6 total. My friend made the reservation for us for 10 a.m. Nothing like waking up, driving half an hour, then stuffing yourself until you can't stuff in any more! We arrived and were greeted right away and lead to our large table. The tables looked close together but we were the second people there and had plenty of room. The carts were still being loaded but we got water and a pot of tea right away. My friend and her mom speak Cantonese so I left the ordering up to them. I don't think I could repeat everything we ordered even if I tried!! SO many dumplings, veggies, noodles, and MEAT MEAT MEAT! Then bring on the tarts and steam buns!! I can't do dim sum a lot because I really have no self control! The waiters weren't pushy at all, just the perfect amount of asking us if we'd like the new dishes that just came out and clearing plates as they became empty. In the end our table racked up a $150 tab but we all ate more than our fill, AND we had a lot of leftovers to take home. We were given takeout containers and plastic bags no problem. And when I asked for some extra custard buns to-go it was no problem to add those in. (And I'm pretty sure the waiter snuck an extra bun in my order!) A bit out of the way for me, but definitely worth the trip!
(4)
Carol T.
Ordered take-out. . 1. Fried shrimp balls -great, good size 2. Roasted pork - good as expected with crispy skin 3. Steamed chicken with ginger scallion sauce- RAW!! With about a cup of bloody juices that I had to pour out of the container! OK that alone was upsetting. I salvaged it by cooking it thinking it would still be good. Nope, just plain bland! A huge disappointment. I had many a take-out of steamed chicken in Philly, Maryland, and Va it was never this ghastly raw. Should've taken pics but was too hungry to think about it. Maybe because their specialty is duck that they don't know how to make this classic Chinese dish. Who knew I had to make sure to check that the chicken is fully cooked before leaving the restaurant?? Sorry but the raw food and lack of proper marinating wiped out all stars. I can cook bland chicken at home any time. **I hope that the restaurant will read this and not be so reckless when sending food out..even if it is take-out. This is dangerous to the public.
(1)
Ryoko M.
I was visiting DC and decided to have dim sum here, as where we are currently living doesn't have a dim sum joint. Being originally from Vancouver, BC, I have to say that the the dim sum here was average, or sub-par on some items. I can only speak for the dim sum items that I consumed, but overall, it didn't wow me. We had four dim sum dishes - streamed shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), siu mai and deep fried taro dumplings. The one item that I liked was the taro dumplings - it was nicely fried, with a good amount of taro filling in the middle. We enjoyed this most. The siu main was OK, it was not the juicy, moist kind that I've had at other places. The shrimp dim sum dishes were the most disappointing: the shrimp in the shrimp dumplings had a mushy texture that didn't resemble the plump shrimps that were supposed to be in there. The shrimp rolls were lukewarm, even though they had just come out of the kitchen, and the rice roll part was gummy and a strange texture to them, like they had re-steamed it. I wouldn't go back, but then again, I'm sure I am a bit spoiled from the great dim sum that Vancouver offers.
(3)
David T.
The place originally sounds and looks a bit sketchy but it is actually a really wonderful place! We stumbled on this place while hanging around Seven Corners and thought hey why not?? Mainly, my fiancee wanted Dim Sum at like 6pm on a Saturday and this place happened to have it. Now when we say Dim Sum, they don't have the rolling carts at this time of day, but the menu items are available to order. We order the standard: sieu mai, ha cao, chicken feet, etc... They were actually not that bad, good flavors and what not. Not the best but not the worst. I ordered a plate of rice and Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and for like $9-10, I was really surprised at the generous portions they brought out. The pork was of course delicious and I was just really happy at the end of it. Good server, quick on his feet, open to suggestions and actually pretty funny!
(4)
Jenn M.
Disappointing. Really makes me miss the dim sum places back home in Los Angeles. Nothing compares to good ol' LA dim sum. We came at opening on a Sunday and no wait. It was odd that they were bringing us the dim sum on a tray. They eventually came around with the carts but I just found it odd they were bringing us displays of trays instead of the cart. The duck was decent, typical and not mind blowing. The roasted suckling pig with crispy skin was probably the best thing we had there. Reminds me of lechon (filipino dish). The fried shrimp ball was not good at all. I would avoid it. Shrimp and pork dumplings were decent. The vegetable spring rolls were okay. When I asked for sauce they told me to ask the waiter. I mean, aren't you suppose to have the supplemental condiments with you on your cart?! This is one strange dim sum place. The sticky fried rice was okay. Too sticky for my taste but gotta have my rice with my food. We ended our meal with the fried sesame balls, they were okay. It was greasy and could have stayed in the fryer a little longer, it was a bit light in color but that's minor. Our server was really friendly though. The place is a bit small and dark inside. I don't think I'll be back here.
(2)
Marivic L.
I hadn't been to Mark's Duck House in many years, but a friend wanted to try it out again. The place was fairly empty at 7:00. Maybe that's why we got great service? I can't be sure. All I know is, we were greeted well and our glasses were always filled. Throughout, we had the appropriate amount of attention from our lovely server. Now to the food. My friend ordered whole fried shrimp which had great flavor and were cooked perfectly. I probably could have eaten the entire plate of them. We also go the roasted pork. It was good but didn't wow me. It was, after all, just plain roasted pork. We received the sauce to dip it in, and that made it better, but it was still underwhelming. The skin was also not as crispy as it should be. Lastly, we had the Chinese watercress. I love me some Chinese watercress and, while it was still good, I found it a bit overdone. Other places know to keep it nice and "bright" green, rather than cooking it until it was no longer crisp. So, all in all, Mark's Duck House provided me with a good dinner with good service.
(3)
Inku T.
I've been dining at Mark's ever since I was in elementary school. I'm not a fan of the old layout, especially the carpeting, but the restaurant is relatively clean. There is ample parking, but once the lunch rush starts, it gets packed so be careful! I usually come here for the dim sum and it never fails me. It's more fun when you go on the weekends when they push their little carts around and you choose which dim sum set you want. I'm not sure if they do that on the weekdays. I've always ordered from the menu Mon-Fri. Their roasted duck and roasted pork are also delicious. My mom used to bring it home all the time when we lived in Arlington. I especially love their banh bao xa xiu (roasted pork bun), but the steamed ones. I think they are the only ones that actually sell them. Anywho, my favorite local (but not really because I drive 45 mins to get here) dim sum place has yet to fail me! (:
(4)
Jimmy G.
I got to Mark's Duck House quite early on a Saturday for Dim-Sum. First thing I ordered was the baby roasted pig and the duck and both were decent. The roasted pig, while bursting with flavor, was lukewarm and so the fat had an unpleasant texture. The duck was also kind of lukewarm and only so-so despite the restaurant being called a duck house; I've had better from just my local Cantonese Convenience Store. The dim-sum, however, was the star of the show. There was a large variety and everything was being wheeled around in metal carts. I didn't have a chance to try everything, but I do have to say that the Taro Balls were one of the best items I had from the selection. Overall the dim-sum was good, and if you have a craving for this food it's definitely worth it to drive out to Mark's and get some.
(3)
Joe M.
We stopped there for afternoon Dim Sum earlier in April, and were really quite pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Har Gau, excellent. Kuo Teh, while not technically Dim Sum, first rate. We liked the Siu Mai as well. I am a big fan of Jiu Cai Bau, (chive dumplings), and they were wonderful. Cheong Fan with shrimp, excellent. The revelation was a the Lo Baak Gou, (turnip cakes), simply the best we have ever had. The characters for "Dim Sum" mean "Drink Tea" in Mandarin, and we did, the tea was uncommonly fine. We will return, I am sure.
(5)
Kim L.
Food was slightly below average, being so greasy. My biggest gripe was the fact that this lady server kept staring at us eat the entire time, no exaggeration!! So uncomfortable. Will not be coming back here.
(2)
Min K.
This place has a lot of options for dim sum. Came in around 11:30 on a Sunday and were just able to beat the lunch rush. We were seated right away and immediately afterwards a server came by to get our drink orders. Carts came by often enough to order the tasty dim sum. Everything was delicious! I wish we had come with another person or two just so we could try more dishes. My bf and I could only eat so much. Ha ha. Most of the dishes came in 3's. We got baby pork and it was good but nothing amazing. When we paid our bill the baby pork by itself was $15! Other than that everything else was reasonably priced. We will def be coming back.
(4)
Ben S.
Decent dim sum, the staples were good (har-gow, shu mai, etc.) but I wasn't crazy about all the pre-made food (chow fun noodles pre-made and put on carts, stir fried vegetables on carts). If you're in the area and are craving dim sum, this place will satisfy you, but that's about it.
(3)
Jennifer N.
I used to come here all the time while growing up. It was one of my family's go-to Chinese restaurants. We would enjoy dim sum, dinner, lunch, etc. here. Well, the quality of the food and the service has definitely changed and not for the better. I went here on Mother's Day and it was ridiculously packed. I hadn't been in a while, so I thought...packed = still good eats. WRONG. The one good thing was that we were seated really fast even though it was busy. The service was bad - took forever for the dim sum carts to make its way to our table. The layout of the restaurant is terrible for dim sum. I got up to use the bathroom and was basically stuck for a little in between two tables and two carts -_- yupp, just my luck. Pretty awkward. They didn't offer a lot of dim sum dishes that I'm used to ordering. The food was cold and not impressive. For the price that I paid...it was not worth it at all. To top it off...after I paid with my credit card - I didn't include a tip via card because my uncle left it in cash. The waitress GRABBED my uncle and screamed, " It's Mother's Day and you aren't going to leave me a tip?!?!"...after she had seen the credit card receipt. He gave her a crazy look and pointed to the cash that was left on the table. Never. Ever. Ever. Again.
(1)
Jey J.
Hello amazing! Dim sum whenever I want? Yes please! The roasted meats are delicious and so worth the drive.
(5)
Daniel T.
I have been going here for years and continue going even after they have changed owners more than once. They have great carry out and authentic Chinese food. This is definitely not a Michelin starred restaurant so do not expect top notch service or cleanliness. They also have some of the best tasting dim sum in the area. They are open pretty late daily and get crowded during dim sum hours on the weekend.
(3)
Lucy C.
My favorite restaurant for Dim Sum. Food is well proportioned. I am here atleast once a week for there baked pork buns and steamed dumplings. Reminds me of Chinatown in San Francisco and New York City. Fresh chinese food and dumplings. Owners really nice.
(5)
Grace H.
Had a craving for Beijing duck, searched Yelp for a recommendation, this one come up. The review is rather mixed. I decide to just take a dive and go for it. The place is in a small mall in Arlington Boulevard, about 40 minutes drive from downtown DC. The place is small and rather old. Given it's owner is an architect, I guess his heart was not in designing this restaurant. The service is efficient from the serving staff. The food arrived fast for the first course, which is the Beijing Duck. After that, it was a little slow. The duck is not what I used to. In Asia -- in Hong Kong or Beijing. When one order a Beijing Duck, be it a half one, the duck would be craved in front of you. Here I only see the duck meat on the plate. I don't know if the portion was really a half portion. From my experience, it looks more like a quarter plus a bit rather than half. There were only 4 pancake in the basket!!! The taste was ok, since there is the Hoi Sin Sauce as condiments, nothing much can go wrong, some of the skin is a little dry. So the duck for me is only an OK. The other two dishes I ordered is Combo Calamari, Scallop and Shrimps with Spice and Salt, and the Chinese Kale. The Combo Calamari was a bit blend, though it was fried perfectly. The Chinese Kale comes in rather large portion size, but it comes with very little oyster sauce. There are good points, the serving staffs are pleasant. So all in all it is an ok for me.
(3)
Vien H.
So my experience was not as good as others. We arrived and waited 10 minutes cause the place was full, no big deal at all. This is totally understandable. Then came the food, you will find that anything on the plates would be mild warm to cold, and stuffs that from the metal trays hot. But what annoy me is how they just mark a line on the order ticket, and they began to screw me up from here. I ordered 2 salsha crabs plate and 1 salt pepper shrimp plate, the respective prices are 14 and 8. And yet they marked 2 line on the shrimp, and 2 on the crabs. So I came to the checkout counter to ask the question why is that... then the lady in charge showed me the ad paper (prob menu, but it look like an ad on the newspaper), pointing to some of the items asking me did I have it. I looked and I said no I didn't. Then they just reduce the price 8 dollars off and say, that fine that fine and charge me 60 dollars less, but what made me pissed off is what she said next. She said may be you are wrong, may be we are wrong, we don't know, then handed me the bill to sign... I feel like I got looked down and they reduced the charge just so I would leave asap. It is not like I dine and dash, I just want a clarification on a stupid arbitrarily bill that they gave me. And they said that pretty loud in front of other customers too... Honestly, worst experience ever.
(2)
Heather B.
I used to come here for dim sum. But lately I've been coming here to satisfy my craving for duck noodle soup. Its so good here. I don't think I'd go newhere else for it. Always consistently perfect. I get it with extra chinese broccoli. The boyfriend orders duck and wonton. He tends to eat more than me even though im pregnant and it always fills him up so the portions are a really good size.
(4)
Dani P.
It's as though Thai is the new Chinese food in the NoVA/ DC area; it's becoming more and more difficult to find good Chinese food. Mark's Duck House is like the oasis. If you come on a Sunday morning, this place gets packed. It's such an experience to be at a big table with your family or friends, wanting to pick up more items from the cart than you can really eat. They are obviously known for their delicious duck, but my other favorite are the steamed pork buns. I could eat a meal entirely of their pork buns. The best part is that feeding parties of 5 or more isn't that expensive! You'll pay as much for them as you would at a different sit down restaurant for 3. If you come on a weekday night, it'll be less crowded, but sometimes they'll be out of some of their dim sum options. It doesn't always stop me from going :)
(5)
Shani L.
Best duck in the area. Yummy BBQ pork buns. Huge portions. Great for carry out. Cons- please update your decor. Green chairs, dim lighting and 1970s tables all should go.
(4)
Victoria L.
My absolute favorite place for dim sum! I'd say I come at least 2-3 times a month for the dim sum and have been for several years. I stopped going to Fortune across the street because the food just went downhill. It gets extremely busy on weekends but I will stand there for 45 minutes just to get my favorite taro "footballs" (is what I call them) The food is fresh and it's consistently delicious. The service is awesome, they are really accomodating and get you whatever you need even if you ask for something new every 2 minutes. All you need to know is this place has one of the best dim sum foods in the area! Never disappointing and a must try!!!
(5)
Han V.
This place is a great lunch spot but can be very crowded during peak hours--- and reasonably so! Their dim sum items are reasonably priced and even if they don't have the carts going around, you can still order dim sum items in addition to what they have on their menu. From their menu, I like to get their combination meat plate where you get to pick out 2 meats. I highly recommend the roasted pig with crispy skin. The skin is sooo crispy and downright addicting. Their duck is the other meat that I like to order. It is a little oily, but will satisfy a craving and is good to eat with rice. Definitely not the best in my opinion, but decent enough. From their dim sum menu, I like their shrimp dumplings, shumai, lobster dumplings, and spare ribs. Servers here are usually very welcoming and the carts do go around relatively quick. However, the servers may have limited English so be clear when you order or they may slip in a couple of extra dishes that you didn't order! Food: 4 Value: 3.5 Service: 3 Overall: 3.5
(4)
Nicole L.
The restaurant had seen its days sometime it doesnt hurt to give it an update. It had a funky smell and looked greasy. The staff was friendly a little over zealous. I ordered the roasted meat platter and congee with beef and squid. The roasted meats were ok they were very meaty and lean. The congee was really good. Half way through I decided to order a stirred fried vegetables. The manager made his occasion rounds to each table to check if everything was ok.
(3)
Erin P.
Truly outstanding dim sum. I have eaten dim sum all over the DMV, in NYC, and in Hong Kong, and this is some of the best in the US. We got there late, around 1pm, and only waited a few minutes (but we were only 2 so perhaps the wait is longer with a larger group). We called ahead to get a sense of the wait ahead of time - smart move. Everything we had was awesome, with very few exceptions. The half-duck was superb, as was the roast pork and all the porky buns. The abalone dumpling was delicious and unique, and they had some of the best shumai I've ever had. Service was fine, what you'd expect in a busy dim sum restaurant. I will definitely be back!!
(5)
Kathleen T.
Very mediocre dim sum. They push around carts that has a variety of dim sum. There aren't that many options. The food didn't look fresh on the cart. Seemed like they had been pushed around for a while. However, there were fresh dim sum that came out from the kitchen on trays. Small restuarant. Good service. We got the duck which was filled with fat and kind of cold. Duck tends to be fatty but this had a lot of fat and barely any meat. Fail. Wasn't impressed at all. Oriental East is so much better and worth the wait.
(3)
Katherine C.
Disclaimer: I've only had dim sum at Mark's Duck House so I have nothing to compare it to BUT don't disregard this review just yet! I've been here a few times for weekend dim sum and each time, the food has been amazing and very consistent. Service is excellent, even when it's busy (and it gets busy!). Basically, you have a main server who will bring your drinks and anything off the menu to you, but for dim sum, several food runners walk around the restaurant with carts filled to the brim with dumplings of all kinds (please get the fried taro dumpling), sauteed vegetables, pot stickers, ribs, suckling pig, fried chicken feet, fried shrimp (with the heads on, yum!), noodles, etc. The peking duck here is completely fabulous and on our last visit, our server, Linda, expertly wrapped our peking duck for us like a pro! My boyfriend's parents have been to Hong Kong many times and always mention that you could plop Mark's Duck House into Hong Kong and they would be right at home, which is pretty high praise. If you like dim sum (or if you want to try it for the first time), definitely check out Mark's Duck House.
(5)
Michelle M.
I'm from California and my Chinese taste buds are pretty much up there. Mark's Duck House actually did a good job-- food is just as good as what I'd find in SoCal. Roast duck is crispy and tasty. Roast pork belly was good, too. Their version of honey walnut shrimp is different -- panko breading-- but still good. The portions are generous and pricing is affordable.
(4)
Donna W.
Excellent and authentic Hong Kong style dim sum. It's very crowded so go early. It's got the hustle and bustle of a typical great Chinese restaurant. Lots of dim sum carts, but some dishes were not available unless yo ordered them, and that would take 15+ mins. Plenty of dishes to choose from to make everyone from the table happy.
(5)
Mari A.
#54 It's been about 9 years since I've lived in an area where good Dim Sum flourished. This was in Northern CA. Then I moved to San Diego,CA for about 9 years and though there were some decent dim sum, nothing compared to the bay. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a Dim Sum place in the area I currently live in now in NoVA, I bookmarked it immediately. Sadly, the experience at Mark's Duck House did not match the little kid enthusiasm that had taken over my body. This wasn't a bad place to get dimsum and actually would CONSIDER coming back to give it a second chance. Overall, the dishes were very dry and left my poor tongue feeling quite unsatisfied and parched. BUT it wasn't a total loss. AND there were a few other items on the cart that looked appetizing, it's just hard to order all this food when there's only the two of us. The GOOD: -Crab claws: meaty and delicious. -Sticky Fried Rice: flavorful and met my expectations. -Eggplant: probably the best thing I had in that whole meal! The BAD: -Tofu: the wrapped tofu was A-okay but was pretty dry. Sad as this is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. -Vegetable Dumpling: not totally a lost cause but tasted pretty bland. The UGLY: -Pork Shumai: Such a basic order!! Alas, it was overly dry and I wanted to cry! -Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed: First timer on this dish! I like seafood. I like seafood. I did NOT like the Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed. -Duck: I believe this was their peking duck.. so sad. So dry. :( Dishes i'd like to come back for in hopes they're as good as my eyes made them look: - Chow Fun - Pork Sparibs. Uggggh.. writing this review made me wish I could teleport back to San Francsico in a heartbeat vs a 5 hour flight over.
(3)
Mohammed K.
Met up with some school friends I haven't seen in a long time for a 12:30 lunch. Had to wait a bit for our table but at least it was an organized process with number being called. I would like to echo the yelpers comments about the service, if you're here expecting an attentive team keeping a close eye on you forget it. Its carts with food moving around 30 tables trying to serve everyone. Stick to the DimSum the other dishes were not that great. Maybe I'm just not into Asian restaurants, maybe I've been spoiled. Even though its called Marks duck house the duck was initially served cold to us. I wouldnt go back. I can get the same food at the strip mall next to my house.
(2)
Chris T.
Mark's Duck House was an awesome dim sum place. We went on 11:30 Sunday, and there was no wait. The waiter offered a choice of hot teas very quickly. We had a nice selection of dim sum and a few other non-dumpling dishes. All were delicious except the roast pork was on the non-steaming cart so it wasn't hot, but it was still crispy. Our only regret was not buying roast pork or roast duck before we sat down because when we left there was a line for the roast meats and for large tables.
(4)
h d.
I came here with family. I trusted them. Then the next the morning I was reflecting on my experience and thought "surely Yelpers will tell the truth..." and I have to say, I'm stunned by the positive reviews. Maybe it's because I didn't eat the dim sum. Even Zagat rates this place high. Awful, awful, awful if you want standard "Americanized" dishes, like General Tso or sweet and sour chicken. I know that that's not the point of this place, but we also had some dumplings and spring rolls. Plainly: gross. The spring rolls had stringy, old tasting chicken in it (the server barked at me that they didn't have vegetable spring rolls, "only chicken") and too much of it. The lo mein was really greasy, the duck was tasty but greasy and not well-trimmed at all because I got a huge piece of fat, which was obnoxious considering what I paid for it, the sweet and sour chicken and General Tso was definitely not white meat as they said when we asked... It actually seemed like chicken scrapings almost, like what's left over after you've butchered and trimmed, fried to within an inch of being inedible. Really bad. The restaurant itself was not clean. It didn't appear that they had changed our table cloth between sittings or at all that day. A member of our party had spilled their drink. When we were in front of the place waiting for everyone to gather (it was empty, so we were milling around near some tables - you can see nothing if you're all the way out front), I saw staff bus and reset the table. Ok fine, but I knew there was beverage all over one half of the table cloth. Also, I ate my meal staring across the room at some disgusting fish and lobster (I think) tanks. They looked like they had never been cleaned, and you could see the mold on the black piping servicing each tank. It was overall a disgusting experience. And yeah, this stuff matters to me when I'm not eating out of a truck or in a different country with different expectations... our final bill is over $130.
(1)
Samantha B.
I've been coming here as long as I can remember. This is one of the best dim sum place to go to in the NOVA area, IMO. It could get pretty packed during the peak hours when dim sum is being served but thankfully they accept reservations. The service is moderate, attentive but could be somewhat slow. The food is great and always fresh. I love the hargow, fried shrimp ball with a crab claw, steamed chinese broccoli and shumai from the dim sum cart. And we normally always order combination fried rice, wonton noodle soup and stir-fry chinese watercrest with garlic. Never had a bad experience or been disappointed. Prices are fair.
(4)
James Y.
"Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again." - Old saying in Texas, probably Tennessee Being an avid dim sum fan, I've been searching for the elusive perfect dim sum place. Although it isn't perfect, the dim sum at Mark's Duck House is decent enough and has been our go to spot for a dim sum fix. Unfortunately, I've experienced unethical behavior several times now and I felt the need to inform others. Like at many dim sum places there isn't a full menu with prices available. This isn't a problem, as it isn't customary for many dim sum restaurants to do so. However, we noticed that the manager will take advantage of this lack of transparency. We noticed on a couple of occasions, that the manager will fudge the prices of the dish if he thinks that he can get away with it. For instance, we ordered 'gao choi gao', which he marked as 4.25 the first time around. When we ordered another order, it was marked as 4.50. When we asked about the correct price, no one could tell us what the correct price is. On a couple of previous occasions, we would be overcharged for one more plate when we had a large to-go order. It is human to make a mistake, so we excused this as an honest mistake, but when it occurred again today, we made a mental note to avoid Mark's Duck from now on. tl;dr Ask and double check the price of each dish on your dish...you may be getting fooled.
(1)
Minh D.
One of my family's go to places for dim sum on the area! The staff here is very friendly but at times can be SUPER overwhelming when they swarm you trying to sell you "X" or "Y." The food temperature here is 50-50 -- it's either super hot meaning it's fresh or its cold. The steamed stuff is usually pretty hot though -- it's mostly the fried things and stuff that isn't kept on the gas cart that had that problem. The food is seasoned pretty well for what it's worth. If you're here definitely get the ha gao (it's a shrimp dumpling), the xiu mai (pork dumplings) and the pai gwut (steamed spare ribs.) As for the dishes on their other carts, check out the steamed rice or the taro cakes! The egg tarts and pineapple buns are also the bomb. Overall, this is definitely a place to go if you're looking to get your dim sum fix but keep in mind that your food is either gonna be super fresh and hot or just warm/cold. Prices are pretty good. P.S. Make sure to get some tea with your meal. It'll help wash everything down
(3)
Kimberly K.
Growing up in VA, my parents used to bring us here all the time. One of my favorite things at Mark's Duck House is obviously, their duck. It can be on the greasier side but the flavors are all there. This isn't the best duck in the VA area but I still enjoy eating here. Their other dishes are good but I wouldn't say great. Service can be a hit or miss. Sometimes you're warmly greeted and get a great server and sometimes it's a complete miss. Service has improved greatly from past years. I've been here for dinner many times, but a friend suggested we try out their Dim Sum. B and I brought my cousin here. Came super early and found a seat immediately. The only thing about being one of the first customers is that not all their dim sum items were ready at that time. I still suggest coming early, since this pace does get packed but maybe not the very first ones in the door. This way you will have a larger variety of items to choose from as time goes by. We enjoyed ourselves and left more than full! Mark's Duck House is a solid dim sum joint. May I also suggest Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant in Falls Church.
(3)
Justine K.
This place definitely has a lot of variety. The dishes come out quickly and there are lots of choices. The food tastes great. My favorite was the taro balls. It has some kind of meat in the middle but I couldn't figure out what kind. My least favorite was the steamed oysters. They were too big and had a metallic taste. Also, unfortunately too pricey. Definitely not worth it for $7 a piece. No wonder the waitress kept pushing it. I didn't have to wait long to get a table. They are pretty efficient at getting you in and out but you feel rushed. 3 Stars for the pricey oysters and feeling rushed. I'm a Marylander so I would rather go to Far East in Rockville where the service is superb and the food is great.
(3)
Jun Y.
Here's a list of the items we ordered and if it's a buy, pass, questionable: Special: Crab Dumpling - Questionable, the $7 price point was steep. Not balling like that to be ordering 3 dumplings for 7 bucks. Special: Chicken Dumpling - Questionable, Ground chicken, Ginger, Scallions, Onions Hargow: Buy, best Hargow around the block. tender meat and fresh. Order 2 Shumai: Questionable, it wasn't special and the wrapper was stuck together like it was overcooked Steamed roasted pork bun: Buy, comes in a order of 2. The bao is soft and there's plenty of stuffing in the middle. Served warm and delicious Fried tofu roll: Buy, It doesn't look appetizing but it taste amazing. Bamboo shoot, pork, ginger, and onions wrapped like an egg roll. Shrimp steamed rice roll: Buy, ask for additional sauce on top. Potstickers: Pass, the dumplings are flat and cold. it's not worth it, there are better options on the same cart. Steamed Custard bun: Buy, special ordered because it's not on the steam cart. It was the perfect way to end a salty, savory dim sum session. The spicy pepper flakes was pretty mild; it wasn't as spicy and fresh as the Fortune hot sauce. The service was decent, the waiter came around a few times to fill up the ice water and tea kettle. The waiters pushing the carts had serviceable english to explain the dishes that were special to MDH. We didn't feel rushed to pay and leave once we were done with the meal. It came out to $25 for each person after tip. Overall it was an enjoyable service.
(4)
Amanda M.
Stopped in with two other friends on New Year's day around 1:30 in the afternoon. Since it was a holiday there were serving dim sum and the place was packed. One tip, if you are willing to share a table, you may get seated more quickly as the middle of the restaurant is full of large round tables and they don't always have parties large enough to fill the entire table. We decided not to share and as a result waited about ten minutes longer than we would have. There was a number system going on which helped to make the wait go more quickly, however, I'm glad I was standing next to the hostess and noticed that she crossed off our number without calling it off. I pointed it out to her and she seated us right away. Even though we were seated around 2PM, the carts were full and service was quick. Between the three of us we had at least 9 different dishes: Pan-fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - one of my favorites - a bit crispy yet soft and well seasoned. Fried Shrimp Balls - the inside of ball is essentially a shrimp paste, not my favorite dish. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - meets the expectations. Stuffed Crab Claw Balls - really large fried circular option with a crab claw sticking out, no one was impressed. Salt-fried Head-on Shrimp with Garlic and Chili Pepper - always a crowd pleaser. Roast Suckling Pig with Crispy Skin - savory and tender. Har Gao - steamed shrimp dumplings - met expectations. Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves - sticky, savory and met expect ions. The surprise hit was the Fried Pork and Shrimp Turnover - served in little paper cups that look like cupcake wrappers, three to an order. Fried and salty but filled with a rice mixture that was slightly sweet and reminded me of mochi in texture. The middle was a filling of shrimp, pork, and what tasted like mushrooms. I would order these and the chive dumplings any day. Overall, solid place for dim sum. Water glasses were constantly refilled as was our hot tea. I'll be back.
(4)
Ihita K.
Some Sundays, I wake up and need a change from the bottomless brunches & eggs bennies (mmmm, the ones with poached salmon, but I digress). Enter soul food - asian style, aka dim sum. I had never checked out this restaurant before since I live across the street from the *best* dim sum restaurant ever (Oriental East, obvi), but I'm always up for checking out new foodie spots. Our group of friends (4 for the party) arrived around 11 am and we surprisingly didn't have a wait - which is apparently not normally the case, so try to plan your visit to be either early in the morning or later in the afternoon (1 pm ish) to avoid long wait times. We ordered a variety of dishes - steamed bok choy, roast duck, ribs, shrimp dumplings (2 different kinds), mussels, and finished with sesame balls. The food was good but nothing to write home about .. but at the same time, nothing was bad. The dumplings were standard, the mussels dish was a new one for me (and I would definitely get it again), the duck was yummy but also a tad too fatty, and the sesame balls were not the best that I've ever had. However, I will say the ribs were exceptional - as in I'm still thinking about them a whole 8 hours later. All in all - I think this place deserves a solid 3 - it's not bad, it's not great, but if you're close to the location, I would give it a try for dim sum should you have the hankering.
(3)
Sumo Y.
I've been here more then 20 times.. love this place to death.. orange beef is my favorite here, with the combination fried rice..They're roast duck is great its greasy as usual..
(5)
Noel L.
The duck was quite greasy.... Few chooses for dim sum... However, the service was nice tho
(2)
Tiffany L.
Dim sum and roast pork here is the best you can get in Virginia. I've tried all the good dim sum around here and this is the best and freshest. Shrimp noodles, hacao (spelling?) and the others are delicious. I also always get cha cuc (tea) with my meal. My family orders whole roast pig and pork buns for parties and they're on point. Marks Duck House is the closest you'll get to Chinatown, NY dim sum. (Spelling is Viet and may be wrong...oops.)
(5)
Yuyu S.
Siamese Sunday is incomplete without dim sum and Superbowl Sunday seemed liked the perfect day to avoid long lines and large crowds. Going with my group of friends, we prayed that everyone was too busy day drinking to go to dim sum - well Jeebus heard our prayers and answered. I'd heard wonderful things about Mark's Duck House and wanted to give it a shot despite my skepticism towards dim sum in Virginia (c'mon, everyone knows Maryland is where it's at). Well, apparently the skepticism was not completely uncalled for because I was neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed - I was simply 'whelmed'. The establishment has an immediate feel of authenticity as my one companion was taken back by the various hanging meats in the window. We ordered the rice crepes, taro balls, taro cake, baby pig, bok choy, shumai, potsickers, pork buns and the milk buns/custard tarts for dessert. Nothing was exceptionally great and it felt both oily and lacking in freshness. There were also tons of carts going around but it was all generally the same items, there didn't seem to be much variety. All in all, the prices were fair and it's a solid establishment to go to if you're looking for dim sum in the Virginia area. I regret nothing.
(3)
Jun Y.
Here's a list of the items we ordered and if it's a buy, pass, questionable: Special: Crab Dumpling - Questionable, the $7 price point was steep. Not balling like that to be ordering 3 dumplings for 7 bucks. Special: Chicken Dumpling - Questionable, Ground chicken, Ginger, Scallions, Onions Hargow: Buy, best Hargow around the block. tender meat and fresh. Order 2 Shumai: Questionable, it wasn't special and the wrapper was stuck together like it was overcooked Steamed roasted pork bun: Buy, comes in a order of 2. The bao is soft and there's plenty of stuffing in the middle. Served warm and delicious Fried tofu roll: Buy, It doesn't look appetizing but it taste amazing. Bamboo shoot, pork, ginger, and onions wrapped like an egg roll. Shrimp steamed rice roll: Buy, ask for additional sauce on top. Potstickers: Pass, the dumplings are flat and cold. it's not worth it, there are better options on the same cart. Steamed Custard bun: Buy, special ordered because it's not on the steam cart. It was the perfect way to end a salty, savory dim sum session. The spicy pepper flakes was pretty mild; it wasn't as spicy and fresh as the Fortune hot sauce. The service was decent, the waiter came around a few times to fill up the ice water and tea kettle. The waiters pushing the carts had serviceable english to explain the dishes that were special to MDH. We didn't feel rushed to pay and leave once we were done with the meal. It came out to $25 for each person after tip. Overall it was an enjoyable service.
(4)
Sunah J.
I think this is the place to come on weekends. I was here on a Saturday afternoon a couple months back and it was super crowded and they carted all the dim sum around the restaurant and you got to pick what you wanted to eat. I'm here today on a Monday night and literally... My table is the only table occupied. We ordered a lot of foods so that we could try a little bit of everything. Here goes what I think of each one: 1) Combination lomein - sucks. There's no flavor and the seafood doesn't seem fresh. 2) Ribs - delicious! Full of flavor and comes out really hot right out of the steamer. 3)Duck - maybe the main reason to come here. It's really fresh and they give you a good portion for the price. 4)Roasted pork - tastes just like it does in China. I don't love all the fat attached to it but I guess that's what makes it delicious! 5) Dim sum (dumplings) - they were alright. Not amazing and not bad. Just okay. Service was good. They were attentive and the food ordered came out very fast. Will probably be coming back again if I'm in the area and craving dim sums!
(3)
Kathleen T.
Very mediocre dim sum. They push around carts that has a variety of dim sum. There aren't that many options. The food didn't look fresh on the cart. Seemed like they had been pushed around for a while. However, there were fresh dim sum that came out from the kitchen on trays. Small restuarant. Good service. We got the duck which was filled with fat and kind of cold. Duck tends to be fatty but this had a lot of fat and barely any meat. Fail. Wasn't impressed at all. Oriental East is so much better and worth the wait.
(3)
Lisa N.
Terrible service. I ordered a whole roasted pig for my dad's retirement party (that's the only thing he wanted) a week ahead of time. They charge about $13/lb and mine was 35lbs so after a "20% discount" (that they give to everyone), it turned out to be ~$365 + tax. I talked to John and told him specifically that I was coming at 10AM and that I wanted it chopped. I come in at about 10:45AM (I purposely told them a little earlier to make sure that it'd be ready) and turns out they gave my pig to someone else. WHAT THE HECK. I told the lady there that I needed my pig chopped because we didn't have the tools to chop a whole pig/make it pretty. She told me they were short-staffed and that it would take 2 hours. TWO HOURS?! To cut up a pig?! That they had promised to cut already?! I couldn't wait that long because I had to do a bunch of other errands before my dad's party so I just took the whole one... No apologies or anything. Unfortunately, Mark's is one of the few places in NoVA that actually offers a whole roasted pig for special occasions like weddings... I wouldn't recommend it, though, because they are really unreliable. TLDR: They gave my pig to someone else and didn't do anything about it or say sorry. We ended up cutting it ourselves. Even though it tasted good, it didn't look good.
(1)
Eric J.
Dim sum dim sum! If they don't have a dish that you want you can always ask them to make it! I asked for the zhaliang; theirs was okay.
(3)
Leslie Y.
Not impressed with this place as I came and am visiting from out of state. We have been there before, and we had high expectations, but it was disappointing. Most of the platters coming out were lukewarm. I used to love the plates coming out in a cart, but now that I am living in Chicago and there are made-to-order plates, it is way more fresh and better tasting. They told us that one of our plates was freshly prepared as we had requested, but it was just lukewarm. Service was okay, but you do feel a bit rushed on Saturday lunch time... It was an okay dim sum experience, but there hopefully is better out there!
(2)
Britt C.
Great food but horrible decor. The carpet is sticky and overall in desperate need of renovation.
(3)
Ben S.
Decent dim sum, the staples were good (har-gow, shu mai, etc.) but I wasn't crazy about all the pre-made food (chow fun noodles pre-made and put on carts, stir fried vegetables on carts). If you're in the area and are craving dim sum, this place will satisfy you, but that's about it.
(3)
Erin P.
Truly outstanding dim sum. I have eaten dim sum all over the DMV, in NYC, and in Hong Kong, and this is some of the best in the US. We got there late, around 1pm, and only waited a few minutes (but we were only 2 so perhaps the wait is longer with a larger group). We called ahead to get a sense of the wait ahead of time - smart move. Everything we had was awesome, with very few exceptions. The half-duck was superb, as was the roast pork and all the porky buns. The abalone dumpling was delicious and unique, and they had some of the best shumai I've ever had. Service was fine, what you'd expect in a busy dim sum restaurant. I will definitely be back!!
(5)
Nicole G.
Came here for Saturday morning dim sum on Mother's Day weekend with a group of 6 total. My friend made the reservation for us for 10 a.m. Nothing like waking up, driving half an hour, then stuffing yourself until you can't stuff in any more! We arrived and were greeted right away and lead to our large table. The tables looked close together but we were the second people there and had plenty of room. The carts were still being loaded but we got water and a pot of tea right away. My friend and her mom speak Cantonese so I left the ordering up to them. I don't think I could repeat everything we ordered even if I tried!! SO many dumplings, veggies, noodles, and MEAT MEAT MEAT! Then bring on the tarts and steam buns!! I can't do dim sum a lot because I really have no self control! The waiters weren't pushy at all, just the perfect amount of asking us if we'd like the new dishes that just came out and clearing plates as they became empty. In the end our table racked up a $150 tab but we all ate more than our fill, AND we had a lot of leftovers to take home. We were given takeout containers and plastic bags no problem. And when I asked for some extra custard buns to-go it was no problem to add those in. (And I'm pretty sure the waiter snuck an extra bun in my order!) A bit out of the way for me, but definitely worth the trip!
(4)
Carol T.
Ordered take-out. . 1. Fried shrimp balls -great, good size 2. Roasted pork - good as expected with crispy skin 3. Steamed chicken with ginger scallion sauce- RAW!! With about a cup of bloody juices that I had to pour out of the container! OK that alone was upsetting. I salvaged it by cooking it thinking it would still be good. Nope, just plain bland! A huge disappointment. I had many a take-out of steamed chicken in Philly, Maryland, and Va it was never this ghastly raw. Should've taken pics but was too hungry to think about it. Maybe because their specialty is duck that they don't know how to make this classic Chinese dish. Who knew I had to make sure to check that the chicken is fully cooked before leaving the restaurant?? Sorry but the raw food and lack of proper marinating wiped out all stars. I can cook bland chicken at home any time. **I hope that the restaurant will read this and not be so reckless when sending food out..even if it is take-out. This is dangerous to the public.
(1)
Ryoko M.
I was visiting DC and decided to have dim sum here, as where we are currently living doesn't have a dim sum joint. Being originally from Vancouver, BC, I have to say that the the dim sum here was average, or sub-par on some items. I can only speak for the dim sum items that I consumed, but overall, it didn't wow me. We had four dim sum dishes - streamed shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), siu mai and deep fried taro dumplings. The one item that I liked was the taro dumplings - it was nicely fried, with a good amount of taro filling in the middle. We enjoyed this most. The siu main was OK, it was not the juicy, moist kind that I've had at other places. The shrimp dim sum dishes were the most disappointing: the shrimp in the shrimp dumplings had a mushy texture that didn't resemble the plump shrimps that were supposed to be in there. The shrimp rolls were lukewarm, even though they had just come out of the kitchen, and the rice roll part was gummy and a strange texture to them, like they had re-steamed it. I wouldn't go back, but then again, I'm sure I am a bit spoiled from the great dim sum that Vancouver offers.
(3)
David T.
The place originally sounds and looks a bit sketchy but it is actually a really wonderful place! We stumbled on this place while hanging around Seven Corners and thought hey why not?? Mainly, my fiancee wanted Dim Sum at like 6pm on a Saturday and this place happened to have it. Now when we say Dim Sum, they don't have the rolling carts at this time of day, but the menu items are available to order. We order the standard: sieu mai, ha cao, chicken feet, etc... They were actually not that bad, good flavors and what not. Not the best but not the worst. I ordered a plate of rice and Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and for like $9-10, I was really surprised at the generous portions they brought out. The pork was of course delicious and I was just really happy at the end of it. Good server, quick on his feet, open to suggestions and actually pretty funny!
(4)
Jenn M.
Disappointing. Really makes me miss the dim sum places back home in Los Angeles. Nothing compares to good ol' LA dim sum. We came at opening on a Sunday and no wait. It was odd that they were bringing us the dim sum on a tray. They eventually came around with the carts but I just found it odd they were bringing us displays of trays instead of the cart. The duck was decent, typical and not mind blowing. The roasted suckling pig with crispy skin was probably the best thing we had there. Reminds me of lechon (filipino dish). The fried shrimp ball was not good at all. I would avoid it. Shrimp and pork dumplings were decent. The vegetable spring rolls were okay. When I asked for sauce they told me to ask the waiter. I mean, aren't you suppose to have the supplemental condiments with you on your cart?! This is one strange dim sum place. The sticky fried rice was okay. Too sticky for my taste but gotta have my rice with my food. We ended our meal with the fried sesame balls, they were okay. It was greasy and could have stayed in the fryer a little longer, it was a bit light in color but that's minor. Our server was really friendly though. The place is a bit small and dark inside. I don't think I'll be back here.
(2)
Marivic L.
I hadn't been to Mark's Duck House in many years, but a friend wanted to try it out again. The place was fairly empty at 7:00. Maybe that's why we got great service? I can't be sure. All I know is, we were greeted well and our glasses were always filled. Throughout, we had the appropriate amount of attention from our lovely server. Now to the food. My friend ordered whole fried shrimp which had great flavor and were cooked perfectly. I probably could have eaten the entire plate of them. We also go the roasted pork. It was good but didn't wow me. It was, after all, just plain roasted pork. We received the sauce to dip it in, and that made it better, but it was still underwhelming. The skin was also not as crispy as it should be. Lastly, we had the Chinese watercress. I love me some Chinese watercress and, while it was still good, I found it a bit overdone. Other places know to keep it nice and "bright" green, rather than cooking it until it was no longer crisp. So, all in all, Mark's Duck House provided me with a good dinner with good service.
(3)
Inku T.
I've been dining at Mark's ever since I was in elementary school. I'm not a fan of the old layout, especially the carpeting, but the restaurant is relatively clean. There is ample parking, but once the lunch rush starts, it gets packed so be careful! I usually come here for the dim sum and it never fails me. It's more fun when you go on the weekends when they push their little carts around and you choose which dim sum set you want. I'm not sure if they do that on the weekdays. I've always ordered from the menu Mon-Fri. Their roasted duck and roasted pork are also delicious. My mom used to bring it home all the time when we lived in Arlington. I especially love their banh bao xa xiu (roasted pork bun), but the steamed ones. I think they are the only ones that actually sell them. Anywho, my favorite local (but not really because I drive 45 mins to get here) dim sum place has yet to fail me! (:
(4)
Jimmy G.
I got to Mark's Duck House quite early on a Saturday for Dim-Sum. First thing I ordered was the baby roasted pig and the duck and both were decent. The roasted pig, while bursting with flavor, was lukewarm and so the fat had an unpleasant texture. The duck was also kind of lukewarm and only so-so despite the restaurant being called a duck house; I've had better from just my local Cantonese Convenience Store. The dim-sum, however, was the star of the show. There was a large variety and everything was being wheeled around in metal carts. I didn't have a chance to try everything, but I do have to say that the Taro Balls were one of the best items I had from the selection. Overall the dim-sum was good, and if you have a craving for this food it's definitely worth it to drive out to Mark's and get some.
(3)
Joe M.
We stopped there for afternoon Dim Sum earlier in April, and were really quite pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Har Gau, excellent. Kuo Teh, while not technically Dim Sum, first rate. We liked the Siu Mai as well. I am a big fan of Jiu Cai Bau, (chive dumplings), and they were wonderful. Cheong Fan with shrimp, excellent. The revelation was a the Lo Baak Gou, (turnip cakes), simply the best we have ever had. The characters for "Dim Sum" mean "Drink Tea" in Mandarin, and we did, the tea was uncommonly fine. We will return, I am sure.
(5)
Kim L.
Food was slightly below average, being so greasy. My biggest gripe was the fact that this lady server kept staring at us eat the entire time, no exaggeration!! So uncomfortable. Will not be coming back here.
(2)
Min K.
This place has a lot of options for dim sum. Came in around 11:30 on a Sunday and were just able to beat the lunch rush. We were seated right away and immediately afterwards a server came by to get our drink orders. Carts came by often enough to order the tasty dim sum. Everything was delicious! I wish we had come with another person or two just so we could try more dishes. My bf and I could only eat so much. Ha ha. Most of the dishes came in 3's. We got baby pork and it was good but nothing amazing. When we paid our bill the baby pork by itself was $15! Other than that everything else was reasonably priced. We will def be coming back.
(4)
Jennifer N.
I used to come here all the time while growing up. It was one of my family's go-to Chinese restaurants. We would enjoy dim sum, dinner, lunch, etc. here. Well, the quality of the food and the service has definitely changed and not for the better. I went here on Mother's Day and it was ridiculously packed. I hadn't been in a while, so I thought...packed = still good eats. WRONG. The one good thing was that we were seated really fast even though it was busy. The service was bad - took forever for the dim sum carts to make its way to our table. The layout of the restaurant is terrible for dim sum. I got up to use the bathroom and was basically stuck for a little in between two tables and two carts -_- yupp, just my luck. Pretty awkward. They didn't offer a lot of dim sum dishes that I'm used to ordering. The food was cold and not impressive. For the price that I paid...it was not worth it at all. To top it off...after I paid with my credit card - I didn't include a tip via card because my uncle left it in cash. The waitress GRABBED my uncle and screamed, " It's Mother's Day and you aren't going to leave me a tip?!?!"...after she had seen the credit card receipt. He gave her a crazy look and pointed to the cash that was left on the table. Never. Ever. Ever. Again.
(1)
Jey J.
Hello amazing! Dim sum whenever I want? Yes please! The roasted meats are delicious and so worth the drive.
(5)
Daniel T.
I have been going here for years and continue going even after they have changed owners more than once. They have great carry out and authentic Chinese food. This is definitely not a Michelin starred restaurant so do not expect top notch service or cleanliness. They also have some of the best tasting dim sum in the area. They are open pretty late daily and get crowded during dim sum hours on the weekend.
(3)
Lucy C.
My favorite restaurant for Dim Sum. Food is well proportioned. I am here atleast once a week for there baked pork buns and steamed dumplings. Reminds me of Chinatown in San Francisco and New York City. Fresh chinese food and dumplings. Owners really nice.
(5)
Chris T.
Mark's Duck House was an awesome dim sum place. We went on 11:30 Sunday, and there was no wait. The waiter offered a choice of hot teas very quickly. We had a nice selection of dim sum and a few other non-dumpling dishes. All were delicious except the roast pork was on the non-steaming cart so it wasn't hot, but it was still crispy. Our only regret was not buying roast pork or roast duck before we sat down because when we left there was a line for the roast meats and for large tables.
(4)
Samantha B.
I've been coming here as long as I can remember. This is one of the best dim sum place to go to in the NOVA area, IMO. It could get pretty packed during the peak hours when dim sum is being served but thankfully they accept reservations. The service is moderate, attentive but could be somewhat slow. The food is great and always fresh. I love the hargow, fried shrimp ball with a crab claw, steamed chinese broccoli and shumai from the dim sum cart. And we normally always order combination fried rice, wonton noodle soup and stir-fry chinese watercrest with garlic. Never had a bad experience or been disappointed. Prices are fair.
(4)
James Y.
"Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again." - Old saying in Texas, probably Tennessee Being an avid dim sum fan, I've been searching for the elusive perfect dim sum place. Although it isn't perfect, the dim sum at Mark's Duck House is decent enough and has been our go to spot for a dim sum fix. Unfortunately, I've experienced unethical behavior several times now and I felt the need to inform others. Like at many dim sum places there isn't a full menu with prices available. This isn't a problem, as it isn't customary for many dim sum restaurants to do so. However, we noticed that the manager will take advantage of this lack of transparency. We noticed on a couple of occasions, that the manager will fudge the prices of the dish if he thinks that he can get away with it. For instance, we ordered 'gao choi gao', which he marked as 4.25 the first time around. When we ordered another order, it was marked as 4.50. When we asked about the correct price, no one could tell us what the correct price is. On a couple of previous occasions, we would be overcharged for one more plate when we had a large to-go order. It is human to make a mistake, so we excused this as an honest mistake, but when it occurred again today, we made a mental note to avoid Mark's Duck from now on. tl;dr Ask and double check the price of each dish on your dish...you may be getting fooled.
(1)
Minh D.
One of my family's go to places for dim sum on the area! The staff here is very friendly but at times can be SUPER overwhelming when they swarm you trying to sell you "X" or "Y." The food temperature here is 50-50 -- it's either super hot meaning it's fresh or its cold. The steamed stuff is usually pretty hot though -- it's mostly the fried things and stuff that isn't kept on the gas cart that had that problem. The food is seasoned pretty well for what it's worth. If you're here definitely get the ha gao (it's a shrimp dumpling), the xiu mai (pork dumplings) and the pai gwut (steamed spare ribs.) As for the dishes on their other carts, check out the steamed rice or the taro cakes! The egg tarts and pineapple buns are also the bomb. Overall, this is definitely a place to go if you're looking to get your dim sum fix but keep in mind that your food is either gonna be super fresh and hot or just warm/cold. Prices are pretty good. P.S. Make sure to get some tea with your meal. It'll help wash everything down
(3)
Kimberly K.
Growing up in VA, my parents used to bring us here all the time. One of my favorite things at Mark's Duck House is obviously, their duck. It can be on the greasier side but the flavors are all there. This isn't the best duck in the VA area but I still enjoy eating here. Their other dishes are good but I wouldn't say great. Service can be a hit or miss. Sometimes you're warmly greeted and get a great server and sometimes it's a complete miss. Service has improved greatly from past years. I've been here for dinner many times, but a friend suggested we try out their Dim Sum. B and I brought my cousin here. Came super early and found a seat immediately. The only thing about being one of the first customers is that not all their dim sum items were ready at that time. I still suggest coming early, since this pace does get packed but maybe not the very first ones in the door. This way you will have a larger variety of items to choose from as time goes by. We enjoyed ourselves and left more than full! Mark's Duck House is a solid dim sum joint. May I also suggest Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant in Falls Church.
(3)
Justine K.
This place definitely has a lot of variety. The dishes come out quickly and there are lots of choices. The food tastes great. My favorite was the taro balls. It has some kind of meat in the middle but I couldn't figure out what kind. My least favorite was the steamed oysters. They were too big and had a metallic taste. Also, unfortunately too pricey. Definitely not worth it for $7 a piece. No wonder the waitress kept pushing it. I didn't have to wait long to get a table. They are pretty efficient at getting you in and out but you feel rushed. 3 Stars for the pricey oysters and feeling rushed. I'm a Marylander so I would rather go to Far East in Rockville where the service is superb and the food is great.
(3)
Michelle M.
I'm from California and my Chinese taste buds are pretty much up there. Mark's Duck House actually did a good job-- food is just as good as what I'd find in SoCal. Roast duck is crispy and tasty. Roast pork belly was good, too. Their version of honey walnut shrimp is different -- panko breading-- but still good. The portions are generous and pricing is affordable.
(4)
Grace H.
Had a craving for Beijing duck, searched Yelp for a recommendation, this one come up. The review is rather mixed. I decide to just take a dive and go for it. The place is in a small mall in Arlington Boulevard, about 40 minutes drive from downtown DC. The place is small and rather old. Given it's owner is an architect, I guess his heart was not in designing this restaurant. The service is efficient from the serving staff. The food arrived fast for the first course, which is the Beijing Duck. After that, it was a little slow. The duck is not what I used to. In Asia -- in Hong Kong or Beijing. When one order a Beijing Duck, be it a half one, the duck would be craved in front of you. Here I only see the duck meat on the plate. I don't know if the portion was really a half portion. From my experience, it looks more like a quarter plus a bit rather than half. There were only 4 pancake in the basket!!! The taste was ok, since there is the Hoi Sin Sauce as condiments, nothing much can go wrong, some of the skin is a little dry. So the duck for me is only an OK. The other two dishes I ordered is Combo Calamari, Scallop and Shrimps with Spice and Salt, and the Chinese Kale. The Combo Calamari was a bit blend, though it was fried perfectly. The Chinese Kale comes in rather large portion size, but it comes with very little oyster sauce. There are good points, the serving staffs are pleasant. So all in all it is an ok for me.
(3)
Vien H.
So my experience was not as good as others. We arrived and waited 10 minutes cause the place was full, no big deal at all. This is totally understandable. Then came the food, you will find that anything on the plates would be mild warm to cold, and stuffs that from the metal trays hot. But what annoy me is how they just mark a line on the order ticket, and they began to screw me up from here. I ordered 2 salsha crabs plate and 1 salt pepper shrimp plate, the respective prices are 14 and 8. And yet they marked 2 line on the shrimp, and 2 on the crabs. So I came to the checkout counter to ask the question why is that... then the lady in charge showed me the ad paper (prob menu, but it look like an ad on the newspaper), pointing to some of the items asking me did I have it. I looked and I said no I didn't. Then they just reduce the price 8 dollars off and say, that fine that fine and charge me 60 dollars less, but what made me pissed off is what she said next. She said may be you are wrong, may be we are wrong, we don't know, then handed me the bill to sign... I feel like I got looked down and they reduced the charge just so I would leave asap. It is not like I dine and dash, I just want a clarification on a stupid arbitrarily bill that they gave me. And they said that pretty loud in front of other customers too... Honestly, worst experience ever.
(2)
Heather B.
I used to come here for dim sum. But lately I've been coming here to satisfy my craving for duck noodle soup. Its so good here. I don't think I'd go newhere else for it. Always consistently perfect. I get it with extra chinese broccoli. The boyfriend orders duck and wonton. He tends to eat more than me even though im pregnant and it always fills him up so the portions are a really good size.
(4)
Dani P.
It's as though Thai is the new Chinese food in the NoVA/ DC area; it's becoming more and more difficult to find good Chinese food. Mark's Duck House is like the oasis. If you come on a Sunday morning, this place gets packed. It's such an experience to be at a big table with your family or friends, wanting to pick up more items from the cart than you can really eat. They are obviously known for their delicious duck, but my other favorite are the steamed pork buns. I could eat a meal entirely of their pork buns. The best part is that feeding parties of 5 or more isn't that expensive! You'll pay as much for them as you would at a different sit down restaurant for 3. If you come on a weekday night, it'll be less crowded, but sometimes they'll be out of some of their dim sum options. It doesn't always stop me from going :)
(5)
Shani L.
Best duck in the area. Yummy BBQ pork buns. Huge portions. Great for carry out. Cons- please update your decor. Green chairs, dim lighting and 1970s tables all should go.
(4)
Victoria L.
My absolute favorite place for dim sum! I'd say I come at least 2-3 times a month for the dim sum and have been for several years. I stopped going to Fortune across the street because the food just went downhill. It gets extremely busy on weekends but I will stand there for 45 minutes just to get my favorite taro "footballs" (is what I call them) The food is fresh and it's consistently delicious. The service is awesome, they are really accomodating and get you whatever you need even if you ask for something new every 2 minutes. All you need to know is this place has one of the best dim sum foods in the area! Never disappointing and a must try!!!
(5)
Han V.
This place is a great lunch spot but can be very crowded during peak hours--- and reasonably so! Their dim sum items are reasonably priced and even if they don't have the carts going around, you can still order dim sum items in addition to what they have on their menu. From their menu, I like to get their combination meat plate where you get to pick out 2 meats. I highly recommend the roasted pig with crispy skin. The skin is sooo crispy and downright addicting. Their duck is the other meat that I like to order. It is a little oily, but will satisfy a craving and is good to eat with rice. Definitely not the best in my opinion, but decent enough. From their dim sum menu, I like their shrimp dumplings, shumai, lobster dumplings, and spare ribs. Servers here are usually very welcoming and the carts do go around relatively quick. However, the servers may have limited English so be clear when you order or they may slip in a couple of extra dishes that you didn't order! Food: 4 Value: 3.5 Service: 3 Overall: 3.5
(4)
Nicole L.
The restaurant had seen its days sometime it doesnt hurt to give it an update. It had a funky smell and looked greasy. The staff was friendly a little over zealous. I ordered the roasted meat platter and congee with beef and squid. The roasted meats were ok they were very meaty and lean. The congee was really good. Half way through I decided to order a stirred fried vegetables. The manager made his occasion rounds to each table to check if everything was ok.
(3)
Katherine C.
Disclaimer: I've only had dim sum at Mark's Duck House so I have nothing to compare it to BUT don't disregard this review just yet! I've been here a few times for weekend dim sum and each time, the food has been amazing and very consistent. Service is excellent, even when it's busy (and it gets busy!). Basically, you have a main server who will bring your drinks and anything off the menu to you, but for dim sum, several food runners walk around the restaurant with carts filled to the brim with dumplings of all kinds (please get the fried taro dumpling), sauteed vegetables, pot stickers, ribs, suckling pig, fried chicken feet, fried shrimp (with the heads on, yum!), noodles, etc. The peking duck here is completely fabulous and on our last visit, our server, Linda, expertly wrapped our peking duck for us like a pro! My boyfriend's parents have been to Hong Kong many times and always mention that you could plop Mark's Duck House into Hong Kong and they would be right at home, which is pretty high praise. If you like dim sum (or if you want to try it for the first time), definitely check out Mark's Duck House.
(5)
Mari A.
#54 It's been about 9 years since I've lived in an area where good Dim Sum flourished. This was in Northern CA. Then I moved to San Diego,CA for about 9 years and though there were some decent dim sum, nothing compared to the bay. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a Dim Sum place in the area I currently live in now in NoVA, I bookmarked it immediately. Sadly, the experience at Mark's Duck House did not match the little kid enthusiasm that had taken over my body. This wasn't a bad place to get dimsum and actually would CONSIDER coming back to give it a second chance. Overall, the dishes were very dry and left my poor tongue feeling quite unsatisfied and parched. BUT it wasn't a total loss. AND there were a few other items on the cart that looked appetizing, it's just hard to order all this food when there's only the two of us. The GOOD: -Crab claws: meaty and delicious. -Sticky Fried Rice: flavorful and met my expectations. -Eggplant: probably the best thing I had in that whole meal! The BAD: -Tofu: the wrapped tofu was A-okay but was pretty dry. Sad as this is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. -Vegetable Dumpling: not totally a lost cause but tasted pretty bland. The UGLY: -Pork Shumai: Such a basic order!! Alas, it was overly dry and I wanted to cry! -Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed: First timer on this dish! I like seafood. I like seafood. I did NOT like the Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed. -Duck: I believe this was their peking duck.. so sad. So dry. :( Dishes i'd like to come back for in hopes they're as good as my eyes made them look: - Chow Fun - Pork Sparibs. Uggggh.. writing this review made me wish I could teleport back to San Francsico in a heartbeat vs a 5 hour flight over.
(3)
Mohammed K.
Met up with some school friends I haven't seen in a long time for a 12:30 lunch. Had to wait a bit for our table but at least it was an organized process with number being called. I would like to echo the yelpers comments about the service, if you're here expecting an attentive team keeping a close eye on you forget it. Its carts with food moving around 30 tables trying to serve everyone. Stick to the DimSum the other dishes were not that great. Maybe I'm just not into Asian restaurants, maybe I've been spoiled. Even though its called Marks duck house the duck was initially served cold to us. I wouldnt go back. I can get the same food at the strip mall next to my house.
(2)
h d.
I came here with family. I trusted them. Then the next the morning I was reflecting on my experience and thought "surely Yelpers will tell the truth..." and I have to say, I'm stunned by the positive reviews. Maybe it's because I didn't eat the dim sum. Even Zagat rates this place high. Awful, awful, awful if you want standard "Americanized" dishes, like General Tso or sweet and sour chicken. I know that that's not the point of this place, but we also had some dumplings and spring rolls. Plainly: gross. The spring rolls had stringy, old tasting chicken in it (the server barked at me that they didn't have vegetable spring rolls, "only chicken") and too much of it. The lo mein was really greasy, the duck was tasty but greasy and not well-trimmed at all because I got a huge piece of fat, which was obnoxious considering what I paid for it, the sweet and sour chicken and General Tso was definitely not white meat as they said when we asked... It actually seemed like chicken scrapings almost, like what's left over after you've butchered and trimmed, fried to within an inch of being inedible. Really bad. The restaurant itself was not clean. It didn't appear that they had changed our table cloth between sittings or at all that day. A member of our party had spilled their drink. When we were in front of the place waiting for everyone to gather (it was empty, so we were milling around near some tables - you can see nothing if you're all the way out front), I saw staff bus and reset the table. Ok fine, but I knew there was beverage all over one half of the table cloth. Also, I ate my meal staring across the room at some disgusting fish and lobster (I think) tanks. They looked like they had never been cleaned, and you could see the mold on the black piping servicing each tank. It was overall a disgusting experience. And yeah, this stuff matters to me when I'm not eating out of a truck or in a different country with different expectations... our final bill is over $130.
(1)
Eme U.
I didn't eat inside so I can't comment on the restaurant itself, but I did order the food to go and loved what I ordered. For more than a year, I've been looking for dim sum reminiscent of my time in Los Angeles. Since moving from Annandale to Falls Church, I've been seeking some good Hong Kong style food tirelessly, but little did I know this hole in the wall looking place would serve what I needed. I ordered shu mai and steamed shrimp dumplings, and they were glorious. I'll return and give a full review next time. Note: don't go there during lunch time on Sundays because there will be a line.
(4)
Laura S.
I've never had the dim sum here but my stomach can definitely say a good word or two about the to-go menu of roasted pork and duck. When you walk in, just go up to the counter w/ the shade half drawn on the right side (you'll see all the delicious roasted meat hanging in the window), say hello and tell them your order. In about 5 min you'll have a ticket to pay with at the register and a to-go meal. Super easy and everyone there is really friendly. I bring it all home and serve it up w/ some freshly made rice from my little zojirushi! All the meats are very moist and well flavored but my absolute favorite is the roast pork b/c it's like lechon (you know what I'm talking about here *queue all my filippino friends*). Super crispy skin and moist flavorful juicy meat.
(5)
Donna W.
Excellent and authentic Hong Kong style dim sum. It's very crowded so go early. It's got the hustle and bustle of a typical great Chinese restaurant. Lots of dim sum carts, but some dishes were not available unless yo ordered them, and that would take 15+ mins. Plenty of dishes to choose from to make everyone from the table happy.
(5)
Maria-Elena T.
I am a regular here; I love the food. I can't go in without ordering the won ton soup, the shrimp dim sum, and of course, the duck (half order)! This time I ordered the Causeway Bay Dungeness Crab, a chef specialty. It was about 2-2.5 lbs and fresh out of the tank in the back. It was delicious!
(4)
Colin C.
I had been here years ago and never had dimsum here before. Heard there are better spots in Maryland but didn't want to go that far. Not to be super pretentious but I like dimsum a lot and have had in Hong Kong, sanfran, Hawaii, and other popular spots in California. This isn't up to those standards but very good for the area. Tons of options, dumpling wise and fried, etc. Prices aren't great but not horrible either. Of course more than regular takeout Chinese but lots more options of course. Service not horrendous and all in all a good experience. Try the dumpling cart the most over the fried one. Some of those can get a big soggy or not as good sitting out. But in general most things are good. The duck was a bit overrated and I've had better sesame balls. Other than that can't complain about anything I tried including the veggies even. Really liked the pancake thing, pork buns, chive fried dumpling, calamari, shrimp steamed dumpling.
(4)
A N.
Over the winter of 2015 I developed a dim sum craving and visited many places in DC, MD and NoVA. For my money, Mark's Duck House is the best place for dim sum in the DC area and compares favorably to the best dim sum restaurants in San Francisco and Toronto. Here's why: -Classic, generously portioned Cantonese-style dim sum. -The classic favorites (shu mai, shrimp crepes, pork buns) are supplemented by more unusual and delicious choices: abalone, scallop, and lobster dim sum. These more exotic choices are pricy, but worth the splurge. -Barbecued meats (pork, duck, spareribs) and other entrees supplement the dim sum. Barbecued meats are exceptional here and are available for takeout. -Service is excellent. -Seating is ample. Our best dim sum meal at Mark's was on a Saturday at 2 pm. Availability was somewhat more limited later in the day and a number of the items were served cold (but were promptly reheated.) On weekdays, dim sum are available from a printed menu.
(5)
Diana P.
I was too lazy to make the trip into MD for dim sum so we decided to stay local. Because there's really not much options available in NoVA, I gave this a try. I only know of this place because my parents usually come here for the crispy pork when the mood strikes them. The pork was delicious when I was able to try some of my parents' purchases when I visited so I assume the dim sum must be good too. I can say it fulfilled my siu mai, tripe, and dumpling cravings; however, I've had better. The choices are extensive and we didn't try them all so there could be some very good dishes amongst the many decent/okay ones. I would come back due to the proximity of this place to my residence. It gets packed on the weekends so I recommend coming early to beat the crowds.
(3)
Gloria W.
It's a good dim sum restaurant. The roasted pork, shrimp dumplings, and chicken feet taste good. But it will be better if more kinds of dim sum are available.
(5)
Rusia L.
Mark's Duck House. Yes, duck. For many that alone is enough to say no thank you. But for all those duck fans out there, the roast duck is extraordinary. The menu is a typical Cantonese menu with, in my opinion, a great seafood selection. The noodle dishes are yummy as well. The service in the restaurant is sufficient but the ambiance is a bit lacking. The lighting is a bit dim for my taste, and there are usually workers running around or preparing ingredients in the dining area which can be a major turn-off for some people.
(3)
Ning Z.
After living 5 minutes away from this place for almost a year, we finally made a trip to it this Sunday for dim sum. They open at 10am and knowing how dim sum lines can be at other places, we got there at 10:05am. We were also super hungry. Note to the zealous though, do not go there that early. They will NOT be ready with food. We were seated immediately and a waiter asked us our tea preference and brought that out quickly, but the food? Not so much. They were still getting ready and they only had a cart full of bread rolls. Then, a few minutes later, one of the waitresses brought a plate of roast baby pork. Being hungry, of course we said yes, but later, at the end, I found out that pork was $14.95. It wasn't even a big portion. It was bigger than a regular dim sum portion in that it had about 6-7 pieces, but for $14.95 I expect a whole plate, not one of those tiny ones that's about appetizer size. Granted I feel tricked that they did that - opening early with no food ready and then tempt you with the roast pork since there's nothing else!! Gah!! Just beware! The pork was definitely not worth $14.95! I could've gotten 4 other items with that!! Other than that initial hiccup, once the food started coming, everything was great. We enjoyed everything we had - shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, bbq pork bun, pork ribs, etcs. Although I have to say that I like the food from China Garden in Rosslyn just a bit more, but not enough that I would prefer one over the other. But since it's a smaller restaurant the carts come around a lot quicker. The service was great, especially compared with China Garden where you're pretty much ignored the entire time until your check. Other than the carts moving around, there're plenty of waiters standing around that you can always wave to your table and ask for some specific item if you didn't want to wait for that cart to come around. I spilled the spicy chilly sauce all over the table and they cleaned it up quickly and brought out more napkins. Overall, I had a good experience here. It's 5 minutes away from my apartment, so yeah, I'm definitely coming back here whenever that dim sum craving hits!
(3)
Chris C.
My rating in the Nova area, not including DC: #1 Lotus Garden in Vienna, #2 Hong Kong Pearl, #3 Marks Duck house, I haven't tried too many other places so what I'm trying to say is MDH is last on my list. Marks Duck House is really not that impressive, their duck is dry and bland as well as their roasted pig. It appears kind of dirty in there which I wouldn't care about if the food was good. Really unimpressive food.
(2)
Julia N.
This might sound crazy but I was craving Chinese food (insider). So that brought us here. I'm not surprised about this Chinese place being just alright. Wasn't expecting anything more than that. Service was okay. Our waiter seemed to beat around the bushes when we asked him questions about the menu though.. We were asked at least 3 times if our food was okay. Although that shows good attentiveness, it was a little too much in my opinion. Food was typical. I'd have to say the whole fish was disappointing as heck. The black bean sauce could have been mistaken for water and the whole tilapia could have lived in a gold fish tank. It was that small. Yet we paid $20+ for it when we can get a much bigger whole steamed fish with an actual black bean sauce for cheaper elsewhere. Everything else we ate is not even worth mentioning. Hopefully their dimsum is better though. Not a bad place but I wouldn't waste too much of my money here.
(3)
Joseph B.
I came here with family for lunch. Food was average and then towards the end of the meal we found a roach crawling around the table. There are serious cleanliness issues with this place.
(2)
Amanda M.
Stopped in with two other friends on New Year's day around 1:30 in the afternoon. Since it was a holiday there were serving dim sum and the place was packed. One tip, if you are willing to share a table, you may get seated more quickly as the middle of the restaurant is full of large round tables and they don't always have parties large enough to fill the entire table. We decided not to share and as a result waited about ten minutes longer than we would have. There was a number system going on which helped to make the wait go more quickly, however, I'm glad I was standing next to the hostess and noticed that she crossed off our number without calling it off. I pointed it out to her and she seated us right away. Even though we were seated around 2PM, the carts were full and service was quick. Between the three of us we had at least 9 different dishes: Pan-fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - one of my favorites - a bit crispy yet soft and well seasoned. Fried Shrimp Balls - the inside of ball is essentially a shrimp paste, not my favorite dish. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - meets the expectations. Stuffed Crab Claw Balls - really large fried circular option with a crab claw sticking out, no one was impressed. Salt-fried Head-on Shrimp with Garlic and Chili Pepper - always a crowd pleaser. Roast Suckling Pig with Crispy Skin - savory and tender. Har Gao - steamed shrimp dumplings - met expectations. Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves - sticky, savory and met expect ions. The surprise hit was the Fried Pork and Shrimp Turnover - served in little paper cups that look like cupcake wrappers, three to an order. Fried and salty but filled with a rice mixture that was slightly sweet and reminded me of mochi in texture. The middle was a filling of shrimp, pork, and what tasted like mushrooms. I would order these and the chive dumplings any day. Overall, solid place for dim sum. Water glasses were constantly refilled as was our hot tea. I'll be back.
(4)
Ihita K.
Some Sundays, I wake up and need a change from the bottomless brunches & eggs bennies (mmmm, the ones with poached salmon, but I digress). Enter soul food - asian style, aka dim sum. I had never checked out this restaurant before since I live across the street from the *best* dim sum restaurant ever (Oriental East, obvi), but I'm always up for checking out new foodie spots. Our group of friends (4 for the party) arrived around 11 am and we surprisingly didn't have a wait - which is apparently not normally the case, so try to plan your visit to be either early in the morning or later in the afternoon (1 pm ish) to avoid long wait times. We ordered a variety of dishes - steamed bok choy, roast duck, ribs, shrimp dumplings (2 different kinds), mussels, and finished with sesame balls. The food was good but nothing to write home about .. but at the same time, nothing was bad. The dumplings were standard, the mussels dish was a new one for me (and I would definitely get it again), the duck was yummy but also a tad too fatty, and the sesame balls were not the best that I've ever had. However, I will say the ribs were exceptional - as in I'm still thinking about them a whole 8 hours later. All in all - I think this place deserves a solid 3 - it's not bad, it's not great, but if you're close to the location, I would give it a try for dim sum should you have the hankering.
(3)
Sumo Y.
I've been here more then 20 times.. love this place to death.. orange beef is my favorite here, with the combination fried rice..They're roast duck is great its greasy as usual..
(5)
Noel L.
The duck was quite greasy.... Few chooses for dim sum... However, the service was nice tho
(2)
Tiffany L.
Dim sum and roast pork here is the best you can get in Virginia. I've tried all the good dim sum around here and this is the best and freshest. Shrimp noodles, hacao (spelling?) and the others are delicious. I also always get cha cuc (tea) with my meal. My family orders whole roast pig and pork buns for parties and they're on point. Marks Duck House is the closest you'll get to Chinatown, NY dim sum. (Spelling is Viet and may be wrong...oops.)
(5)
Yuyu S.
Siamese Sunday is incomplete without dim sum and Superbowl Sunday seemed liked the perfect day to avoid long lines and large crowds. Going with my group of friends, we prayed that everyone was too busy day drinking to go to dim sum - well Jeebus heard our prayers and answered. I'd heard wonderful things about Mark's Duck House and wanted to give it a shot despite my skepticism towards dim sum in Virginia (c'mon, everyone knows Maryland is where it's at). Well, apparently the skepticism was not completely uncalled for because I was neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed - I was simply 'whelmed'. The establishment has an immediate feel of authenticity as my one companion was taken back by the various hanging meats in the window. We ordered the rice crepes, taro balls, taro cake, baby pig, bok choy, shumai, potsickers, pork buns and the milk buns/custard tarts for dessert. Nothing was exceptionally great and it felt both oily and lacking in freshness. There were also tons of carts going around but it was all generally the same items, there didn't seem to be much variety. All in all, the prices were fair and it's a solid establishment to go to if you're looking for dim sum in the Virginia area. I regret nothing.
(3)
Jen F.
I had high expectations for Mark's Duck house and sadly, it was a disappointment. We came here strictly for the Dim Sum and they seemed to have nothing left on the menu! Did you not restock your kitchen? What is up with that? The best dish was BY FAR the Mango pudding, which wouldn't be enough for me to come back to this establishment.
(2)
Michelle D.
I recommend this restaurant if you want to eat dim sum because I liked the experience of picking dim sum from the cart. If you like tea, I recommend drinking Chrysanthemum tea and letting the tea bag soak for a few minutes. Then if you want it sweet, gradually add a spoonful of sugar cubes to it. I added 3 spoonfuls to our teapot. If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, I recommend ordering a couple of different plates of dim sum before 2pm on the weekends. I went on a Saturday and the restaurant stopped serving dim sum on the cart so I wasn't able to see what the food looked like. I like picking from the cart because I could point and ask what ingredients were inside. Otherwise you may make the mistake we did on our first visit which was to order chicken feet:)
(4)
Christy L.
Good won ton soup if a bit salty. Spring rolls fried hot and including meat which surprised us. Glad we came in for some comfort food.
(4)
Eric N.
I absolutely love the rice porridge with pork and extra preserved duck egg. It is my favorite dish here. I know it's so easy and simple, but they get it right here. Don't forget the fried bread stick. The sauteed chives and organs are delicious with rice too. Their mapo tofu is great with rice as well. Dim sum is sub par to me though.
(4)
Marada C.
Delicious but make sure not to come here if you're on a budget, unless you're super disciplined! The food here is delicious and very mixed. You have you're typical "Americanese" food, which I've never tried because WHY?! But their Chinese BBQ (we're talking roasted duck, soy sauce chicken, roast pig with crispy skin, BBQ roast pork, etc) pit is phenomenal! Just writing this post makes my mouth salivate. The prices are pretty consistent with the area. Make sure you let them know if you want your meats warmed up, cause they serve them room temperature on purpose to not over dry the meat. Even their menu is delicious, dim sum and all. I consistent spend $30+ or more here when I come for 1 person (usually, there are left overs... usually). The food is delicious and the staff if pretty friendly as well! The prices for the menu tend to be a bit on the higher side as well, but the food quality is delicious so I can't complain.
(4)
Rich K.
The place inside is old and drab.Nothing much for ambience. I don't eat ambience, do you? We ordered crispy quail and shrimp dumplings all tasty and excellent. Then roast duck on rice and moo shu pork.The duck roasted perfect with hints of five spice and soy glaze.The pork with vegetables came piping hot and perfectly seasoned. I commend the chef for not drowning the pork in sauce.Absoultely the best Chinese food in northern Virginia hands down!
(4)
Billy E.
I don't know enough to really judge the quality of dim sum versus other restaurants in the area, but as a casual fan of dim sum I can say I enjoyed Mark's. Everything we got was interesting and tasty, even though most of the time we couldn't immediately tell what it was. Service was very good and you can start eating almost as you sit down. I would definitely come here again.
(4)
Tim H.
Went on a Sunday morning for dim sum. Most of it was excellent and the service was good. Got to the end to find out the little pork dish we got was $14.95! For maybe a 1/4 lb of pork max! Completely absurd and killed the experience. It was marked on the paper where there was no price - just Chinese characters. If you go and they mark there, beware.
(2)
Mina C.
Dim Sum Review- I would just say its okay. Its closer to where I am most weekends, and I can go to eden afterwards so I don't mind going to this place. It isn't the best, but it isn't the worst. my preference is oriental east, but that's in downtown silver spring, quite a hike. I like the variety, but sometimes items are cold and rubbery. the people pushing the carts can also be very demanding and persistent.
(3)
Trinh T.
Our go to for dim sum when my family comes to town! The suckling pig (baby pig) is the best in the area. It gets quite crowded during the weekend peak hours but worth the wait if you craving some dim sum!
(4)
Wesley Y.
Came here on a Sunday at around 4:30. my gf and I were having a lazy Sunday so we missed the usual dim sum hours. The paper dim sum menu prices are INCORRECT. DISREGARD. PAPER. DIM. SUM. PRICES. I ordered a lot more dim sum items then I should have because it was so "CHEAP" only to find out it really wasn't. I think Mark came up to our table to ask how we were doing after hearing the argument that happened ..... While we were waiting for our half peiking duck there was a lot of commotion in the kitchen 2 guys arguing in Cantonese and it was a very heated argument. After a good 10 minutes of shouting and the servers trying to calm the kitchen down a very pissed off looking chinese man came out of the kitchen and sat down at a table. I was hoping a fight would ensue in the kitchen =.=. The dimsum items were all tasty, but not after finding out the prices were changed. They do serve dimsum all day. Can't compare this to New Yorks cheap dim sum spots but it'll do for now. The peiking duck was really good, the server actually rolls your first wrap for you. I would rather wrap it myself but whatever. They show off how pro they are at using 3 spoons!
(3)
Chanel D.
This was my first foray into the world of legitimate dimsum. (Sorry, place that rhymes with Bing Bong.) First, let me say, hooray for the prices. Awesome! We ate like royalty and weren't paupers after the check arrived. I went with a friend who knows his way around the menu and what to expect at a place like this. I don't remember everything we ate because it was a blur of dishes selected from push carts. The crispy duck and vegetable dumplings both stand out in mind. My only ding is that some of the noodle dishes that should have been hot were room temperature. So, that was a little off putting. Make sure that you get there earlier on the weekend because this place can get really busy with the line out the door. So, if they catch you lingering after you've paid the bill, you will definitely get the stank eye. I will definitely go back! Worth a try.
(3)
Clara L.
A decent option for dim sum at Mark's. I will have to say, the variety is not plentiful, but each option is pretty solid. Due to the way they serve the food, some of the dim sum can get a little cold by the time it gets to your table. They should invest in more heated or covered carts. It is not overly pricey, so you can get a good meal without breaking the bank.
(3)
Srta L.
It was all delish. We went there on Saturday morning and let me tell you one of the best DimSums I had in a long time. Service is great as well. I think it was a little overpriced we were 3 adults and 1 kid and the total including tips and taxes $75
(5)
Michael L.
I could not believe how delicious the Peking duck was. I have eaten it in Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver and been delighted. This was better. The Chinese broccoli with garlic was masterfully prepared. The tofu with chili and spring onion was unimpressive.
(4)
AL K.
Review is primarily for the dimsum. We walked in and was warmly greeted in Thai. The wait staff assumed that we were. why? Anyway we were promptly seated and the carts (2) started to roll by. This cart guy was aggressively suggesting on what to put down on our table. He had the the steamed rolls so we ordered a couple and refused some. The next cart was all the fried stuffs which didn't interest us. Limited choices. We ordered young chow on the side to compliment with all the food we ordered. Water glasses were routinely filled and dishes were cleared accordingly. I would have to say that service during this visit was great!! The carpet is nasty and management has to seriously consider changing it.
(3)
Cindy L.
OMG. I was deathly ill after I ate here. I've been here a couple of times but I may never go back from sheer fear. I usually come in for dim sum but this night...THIS NIGHT...it was dinner. It wasn't the FOOD that made me sick...my roomey had the same and she was fine but I didn't like the food that much either...so what do you do when it's bland? You turn to those ever trusty little jars of spices on your table that are available at every Asian establishment. IT WAS THEM. THE CONDIMENTS. Who knows how long or what was in those little dispensers of pain and SUFFERING sitting on the table, waiting, biding their time for their victim. Non-stop barfing for almost 2 days...the suffering was unimaginable. I didn't know myself after those 2 days.
(1)
Jasmine H.
This place is great. I grew up in Hong Kong and this place is the closest to Cantonese food that I have found anywhere in northern Virginia. The dim sum menu is extensive and they also offer a lot of rare stuff like jellyfish, duck tongue, intestine, those sort of things. Their noodle dishes are also really good. Wonton mein is the best in the area. The beef tendon ho fun is also delish. Best in the area. Speaking of which, their tendon casserole is really good too. It comes out on a heated bowl and is sizzling when it is served. Can't rave enough about this place. Yes, sometimes service sucks when they are busy but they have the best intentions. Example: today I went to get some duck to go and asked for two whole roast ducks, chopped. Normally they will give me literally a whole duck chopped, with all the meaty parts AND all the boney parts. But this time they gave me 4 quarters of just meat. No head bones or useless pieces with no meat. I waited a little longer than usual too, so they gave me some tea while I waited and was very polite. Even after my food was ready they told me not to rush and to sit and enjoy my tea before I leave. Nice service.
(5)
Katie H.
This place is under new management, the food serve cold and over cooked. So disappointed, cause it's used to be my favorite place to go for dimsum.
(1)
Kimberly S.
This review is about Mark's Duck House's crispy suckling pig only. My folks live in Falls Church so they are frequently gallivanting all around Eden Center and surrounding shopping centers in search of quick, delicious food. One of their best finds is the roasted pork (or as my Filipino mom calls it "lechon") at Mark's Duck House. Mark's Duck House sells a superior pork product from other Chinese BBQ joints because it is not too salty or greasy, has a perfect fat to meat ratio, and the skin retains its crispy texture even a day after and re-heated! Pick a few pounds up the next time you are heading out to a potluck or family party for a definite crowd pleaser!
(5)
Alida H.
You can usually find me here on Sunday during brunch/lunch hours with my family devouring their delicious dim sum appetizers. I've been to a handful of dim sum places in the DC metro area (fortune, lucky 7, china garden, etc.), and this trumps them all by far. Although it is a bit more expensive than its competitors, its worth every penny. The service could be improved, but the dim sum makes up for it, so that component doesn't even matter. I love their shrimp crepes, shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls and fried taro! Although it can get very busy, it is well worth both the wait and drive to falls church.
(4)
Ai C.
This is my favorite local dim sum place. Its usually busy on the weekends between 11-2, so arrive early. 4-5 carts are constantly going around, so you don't wait much. If the dish is cold, they can heat it up for you. Its a moderately priced place, so expect to pay around $50 for 2 people.
(4)
Nana G.
I'll start out by saying that I came here on a birthday lunch for a friend, and one of the hosts basically controlled all the ordering and what not, so keep that in mind when reading my review. First of all, this place is CROWDED on sunday noontime, when we came. We got a reservation but there was a lot of people waiting around by the doors, and every table was full. Said tables in the center of the restaurant floor are incredibly close together and people trying to migrate around them and the dim sum carts coming around makes for a little bit of chaos. I found the chairs around one of the large round tables that I sat at to be far too close to ones at other tables. I was a fan of the rotating thing in the center, really helped us share our multiple dim sum dishes around. The decorations and look of this place are nothing special, very typical local Chinese restaurant. As far as the food itself, the host ordered a bunch of options for us (I did not see the menu or pay so I can't comment on prices). We had some sort of shrimp and lobster dumpling which was pretty good, I really liked the vegetable lo mien. We also had some sort of shrimp dumplings that I didn't like at all, they were very soggy and fell apart easily, the dumpling shell part had a sort of squishy feeling to them and I wasn't a fan of the taste at all. Again, like other people have said, the food wasn't hot as it was being toted around on the carts. I didn't get asked once the whole meal if I wanted a drink by a server, maybe this was just because of my host. We all got waters halfway through the meal. Like other have said, don't expect an attentive server constantly, there's just carts going around. It's loud inside and it was hard to communicate across the table and restaurant. I didn't find the place relaxing due to the loud nature and the people constantly moving around. I suspect the side booths are more comfortable. I had a nice time at my friends party, so I am probably letting this place off easy. It seemed like a popular place despite the Seven Corners Strip Mall location, judging by the crowdedness.
(2)
Julie M.
No. I mean...no. I'd heard good things about the dim sum here, and I'm always happy to find a place with tasty dim sum, but this was not it. The har gau (shrimp dumplings) had a poor shrimp-to-filler ratio and the wrapper was way too thick and slightly undercooked -- proper har gau wrapping is just thin enough to comfortably hold everything together without overshadowing the filling. The jellyfish was underseasoned; it was so bland that I ate less than half and didn't bother to take the rest home (which I NEVER do! One of my most Asian traits is that I hate wasting food). The fried noodles with beef were even more tasteless than the jellyfish. It was clear that the only seasoning used was soy sauce, and I only knew that because the noodles were brown -- there certainly wasn't any soy flavor. And I haven't even gotten to the price yet! Look, I try not to write bad reviews unless the food or service was egregiously awful. But this is an overpriced restaurant resting on the laurels of good WaPo and Zagat reviews from years ago. It doesn't deserve its good reputation. Save your money -- most of their non-dim sum dishes are half the price and taste better at Miu Kee down the road. And the best har gau and xiu mai in Northern Virginia is in the back cafeteria of Great Wall, the Chinese supermarket in Merrifield. You're welcome.
(1)
Bo J.
My husband and I have been regulars at this restaurant for about 12 years now. The food here is always so good. We leave every meal fully satisfied and stuffed. One of our favorite dishes is lobster or dungeness crab in a ginger scallion sauce or Cantonese style. Both are delicious. We also love their Peking duck, we think the best in the area (better than Peking Gourmet and Duck Chang's), the noodle soups (our favorite is the shrimp wonton noodle soup), fried shrimp with head on, fried Chilean sea bass, and fried soft shell crab. The pork chops are another favorite. Their vegetables are always great like pea shoot leaves and sugar snap peas in garlic sauce. When available, they also have a razor clam dish in black bean sauce which is delicious. There is also a server we have been going to for many years named May. She's wonderful and will take good care of you.
(4)
Karlo S.
Come for THE DUCK Stay for THE DIMSUM Yes, it's a duck house. And they do the bird some justice here. It's juicy and very tasty. But I personally come here because it offers by far the best dim sum in the area. You get all the regulars like shumai and hargow but also get some of the favorites you don't always get everywhere like crab-claw shrimp balls and pork/taro dumplings. Weekend dimsum brunch can make you feel like you're in NYC Chinatown, but it's worth the wait every time. Dimsum starts at 10am, which is probably the best time to go. Anytime after 11am may cause you to wait anywhere from 15-45 minutes (depending on how big your party is). Most, if not your entire party should be there otherwise they won't seat you. Though the traditional dimsum on carts are only available during lunch time, you can order any dimsum item through their a-la-carte menu. For non-dimsum food, I've only ordered from the menu a couple of times but the food is tasty and the portions are good. Definitely one of my favorite spots to eat!
(5)
Maricar V.
there are two reasons why we come here... one: the crispy skin chicken with crispy garlic (drool!!!) and two: the sweet tofu (yummy!!).... we order it every time, without fail! there are plenty of other dishes - their menu reads like a book... besides the crispy chicken, we ordered: crispy pork chop (well seasoned and good!), pork fried rice, steamed spare ribs, shumai, seafood pan fried noodles, and chinese watercress with shrimp paste (or kangkong and bagong to us filipinos!).... heres a tip -- for you to order good shumai and sweet tofu, get there early. they often run out of sweet tofu and they only make one batch! the best part of our meal was actually our server -- her name was linda and she was the best ever! totally surprised us with being so great, friendly, attentive, and just on point! we had a big group and i know how frustrating that can be... but not to linda, she took good care of us! i would definitely recommend marks duck house... be warned though, when you eat here, you come out of there smelling like chinese food, so leave your coat in the car and be prepared to wash your hair when you get home...but for the crispy chicken and sweet tofu its worth it!
(3)
Le L.
My boyfriend and I decided to come to this place for their saturday dim sum. I was very surprise that the place wasn't busy and we didn't wait for more than 5 minutes. This is very unusual for a saturday afternoon. After we seated, the servers were nicely ask what we want to drink and eat. The tea was okay and some of the food weren't hot enough. I didn't like when my dim sum isn't hot, that was a negative sign why there were barely anyone there. Every time we eat, one of the server just keep coming back and reached his hand to my plate and pick up stuffs when I clearly didn't say I was done, he didn't even ask anything before he could take my plate. The visit was not very pleasant to me and I will least likely return to this place for dim sum.
(3)
Michael D.
Good dim sum. I live in MD, and there are places in Rockville or Silver Spring which are as good or better. I won't be going back, but if you live nearby, then it may be a fine choice. A few caveats: It's not a huge restaurant, so at around 1pm on a Saturday, they were pretty full, but several of the dishes had circulated a few times, and were cold. Prices are reasonable, but they hustled us to buy some suckling pig, without disclosing the price. Virtually all dishes cost between $4-8, but the pig was $15 for 8 little strips of meat.
(4)
Sasha C.
stayed around the area and looked for good dimsum. it was a tossup between this or pearl's seafood. we took a crap shoot and came here for sunday dimsum. got here early enough and didn't have to wait. the reviews are right in the sense that they do need some updating. but it was clean and service was quick. the min you sit down, the cart comes rolling by. we tried the fried salt n pepper shrimps (yum), spare ribs (yum but missing a bit of garlic), phoenix claws (yum but it was rather cold), shumai (just ok), ha gow (a bit on the mushy side.. oversteamed perhaps), crispy baby pig (so good but so pricey). everything was just a ok. nothing was SO good but it was decent enough to fulfill a craving while spending a weekend in DC. i do wish we tried the duck since they're called a duck house but we just couldn't fit it in our stomach.
(3)
Alan Y.
Mark's is the epitome of solid dim sum at a reasonable price. Try all of their various steamed dumpling dishes and the beef tendon (or stomach), but don't forget to leave some room for one of their to-die-for egg custard tarts! -_-
(4)
Meredith H.
Dependable place for above average dim sum. I've been here 4 times already, and have enjoyed all of the dishes I've eaten so far. Fried Taro, Bok Choy, and Radish Cake are definitely favorites at our table, as well as Pork Buns, Stuffed Eggplant, and Ginger Tofu (served at the end...if you can get it!). Service isn't bad, and I understand just how hard it can be to be attentive to all tables when the restaurant is packed and crowded. Although I enjoy coming when it's busy, as I can see what's on the carts as they're being wheeled around, I would suggest coming during a NON-peak hour (without the carts) after you have discovered what you like. The dishes on the carts can be hit or miss regarding temperature - stone cold Bok Choy isn't all that pleasant. However, if you come when it's dead, and order off the menu, all the food comes out hot and fresh. Also, be sure you save room (and ask for) the ginger tofu. SO DELICIOUS. I've also experienced the oddity of dishes being more expensive than listed on the menu - the next time I go, I'm going to confirm the prices on the menu with the waitress. A couple times, we've ended up paying more than what we would have if the prices on the menu were true. Again, this place is good for above average dim sum - with some tweaking and some precision, I think it could be even better!
(3)
Weixuan F.
Good Cantonese restaurant in VA. I tried to order the wonton noodles with pork but they served the wonton noodles with duck. Anyway, it was very yummy. The baked duck on the top of the noodles soup had very crispy skin and tasty duck meat. Love it.
(4)
Jen A.
I love this place! It's set the bar so high that I don't know if I could eat dim sum elsewhere. I recommend going early - the food is hotter, the options are more plentiful, and the egg custards are still available...yum! There's usually a wait and that's a good sign! Yes, the ambiance is drab but who cares because the food is fantastic!
(5)
Rebecca S.
We went for dim sum a few weeks ago, and I could safely say that I wouldn't go back again. Approximately half the items served to us were cold, and they went and heated them back up in the microwave. If you do decide to go, make sure choose items that are with like items on the carts, instead of pulling something that's with a bunch of different items. They seem to just cart the cold rejects together over and over again.
(2)
Ellie L.
Dim sum was mediocre. Some foods we picked were dry and cold. I had better dim sum that are cheaper.
(2)
Alexis S.
this review is for the shrimp dumplings. there's pretty much nothing else to say except that they are my crack. i love them! i order way too much of it when i go - and they know when i come in that's what i want! :) haha
(4)
Amanda G.
My opinion on the food has not changed (STILL 5 STARS FOR THE DUCK!!!) but I had to write about this one incident a couple visits ago...people need to be aware of the outside of this place. This incident I am referring to happened towards the end of the summer, I came here with my boyfriend, his sister & her fiance. We were almost robbed/killed upon leaving. This is NOT an exaggeration. There were 2 hooded males lurking around the posts, and once they saw us females come out they immediately got behind us until they realized we had men with us and then they pulled back but hung out just feet away from us and watched intently while we got our jeep ready to go. The one closest to us was pretending to be talking on his cell phone but we could plainly see it was the main screen and that he was not on a call. His friend was lurking at the other end of the walkway watching us. The minute we climbed into the jeep they started coming toward us, and luckily my boyfriend believes in being armed at all times, so he turned around and showed him a peek of his gun belt and the two men immediately stopped and signaled to each other and ran away. I'm too scared to come back when it is not light outside anymore or without someone armed. This location is too bad, and I hope to god Marks can move somewhere a little less frightening so that I can enjoy the best duck I ever had without having to wonder if I might get killed when leaving.
(1)
Jinna C.
I've only been here for the dim sum and never had a regular meal here. It's a hit or miss with this place. The wait is also sporadic. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes for a table, other times you dont wait. So the ambiance is just like any other Chinese place - bare bones tables, sauces, and vinyl seats. Once, my friend broke her plastic chopstick - I didn't even know that was possible. You have to be aggressive with the waiters and tell them what you want if you see something you want go by. The food on the carts sometimes are cold, and some weeks they lack variety. When its busy though, the food is hot and fresh. I especially enjoy the chicken egg rolls which have just chicken meat in them without any random fillers which is nice.
(3)
Stephanie N.
The dim sum here is basic. Staff are not very attentive nor friendly. They will only come if you call them or on rare occasions that they come to refill your drink. One big thing is that while eating I saw a server KILL a COCKROACH and acted as if it was nothing! I was absolutely disgusted and I just don't feel safe eating their food. I will not be coming here again.
(1)
Jessica N.
I love marks duck house! Their food is sooooo good & the price is reasonable and the owner is incredibly nice and the servers are nice too. If you havent tried their dim sum you're missing out big time.
(5)
Michelle N.
This is one of my absolute favorite places for dim sum. Warning: come here as early as possible. This place will get crowded with long waits. Other than that, Mark's Duck House is a great place to order roast duck, chicken, or pig to go. They have them hanging up in the front and you can order them to be cut up to go. They also have a really extensive menu if you're dining here for dinner. Check out the peking duck - it's pricey but oh so delicious and crisp. Service is a bit spotty depending on who you get. The place is almost always full which is a good sign of how delicious their food is. The tables are very close so be careful not to scoot your chair back and hit another person.
(5)
Wesley C.
Really good dim sum. My in-laws and brother-in-law's family live in the Chantilly area and we come here pretty much every time we visit them. It is consistently very good and consistently PACKED. You MUST GO EARLY. I have to say, I think they have some of the best baked bbq pork buns around. They're small, but the bread is good, and the filling is awesome. Plus, the glaze that they have on top of the bun is just like icing on top of a cupcake. It's unfortunately not the cheapest dim sum, but I guess when you're in Chantilly, you may have to expect that this ain't no chinatown. I look forward to coming back many more times in the future. And just a note, if you really like chicken feet, AKA, phoenix claw, they are REALLY GOOD here.
(4)
Hunter Z.
Personal favorite. Authentic Cantonese restaurant comparable to Hong Kong Pearl. Must try their oyster - they are huge!!! Try both garlic and soybean sauce flavors.
(4)
Ella C.
nice place fund to go
(5)
Lhynette C. A.
We went here for the Dim sum on Sunday for lunch. The selection was meh, and the food wasn't THAT fresh. It is always a challenge for dim sum places to keep their food fresh while carting all over the restaurant. My favorite go to at dim sum is the chicken feet...and i must say, it wasn't bad, but I've definitely had better. I don't think i'd go back here..at least not for dim sum.
(2)
Elaine A.
Terrible!!!!!!! Ordered salt and pepper squid to go....awful....mixed good squid with retried ones.....hard as a rock!!!!! Terrible....paid 14 bucks !!!!!'n never again!!!!! Aweful!!!!!!!!
(1)
Kat M.
Would I go back? Only when I'm really really really craving dim sum. Which may be every few months. I'm from the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, so I'm spoiled when it comes to good and cheap Asian food. I know it's not fair to compare. But Mark's Duck House isn't too shabby. Staff is pretty nice, and the price is right. Major downside is that several of the dishes were served cold...when they weren't supposed to be. But I'm all about getting served food as soon as I sit down. Perhaps the best choice for dim sum in the DMV area...but it won't warrant a 4 or 5 stars for me. Don't expect anything fancy.
(3)
Ajit D.
The food is mostly alright and the service is fast. This is probably the place you want to go to if you like traditional dim sum and know what you're doing in a legit Chinese restaurant. However, I didn't particularly like the service and I prefer fusion style (non traditional) dim sum like Ping Pong. When the lady with the cart rolled around, I asked how much a plate of oysters were. They looked good, but expensive. She said $7, so I thought I'd try them at that price. They were terrible. I really couldn't eat them. When the bill rolled around, it turned out they were $7 each, so $21 for the plate. The price made sense, but it wasn't clear at all. The woman either didn't understand my question or lied about the price. I definitely didn't hear her ask how many I wanted. I mentioned this to the guy who brought the bill and he very much didn't give a shit. So, it turned out to be a pretty expensive meal for something that gave me a terrible stomach ache for hours. Overall, most of the food was alright, but not piping hot (it was noon on Saturday, so I expect piping hot). Stick to what you know when you're ordering and you should be alright. Will I go back? Yes - but only because my Chinese friends and my mom like it.
(2)
Elizabeth B.
I've been coming here for 20 years. In the last five years, they fixed the place up. Great! Then, they jacked up their prices. Like, double what they used to be. Not great. Now, there's a loud noise from the heating system that makes me lose my appetite. Time to find a new favorite Chinese restaurant!
(1)
Elvis L.
Grew up coming to this place. The dim sum here has been constantly good. But they really need to expand on the restaurant. Pros: Dim Sun is good Hot entrees is good Cons: Seating Could use a bit of remodeling Messy Restaurant is too small
(3)
Sarah C.
3.5 stars I'm not a foodie....just hungry so it took me forever to try this spot. The better half and I decided to trek over to this area since I had a whole day with him *yay*. Even though it was packed they had plenty of tables for smaller groups like us - the larger groups though had a different experience. This is my first dim sum experience with him. I'm not a dim sum type but this may change. I tried to take as much food porn as possible but sometimes the dish was gulped away before I trigger my phone. Am I being too commercial in saying that I liked the fried shrimp balls? A bit salty but still memorable and pretty too (pretty in my mowf ^_^). I haven't met a shrimp and pork dumpling that I don't like. If you mess that up then... Roast pork noodle crepe??? Right here. Shrimp noodle crepe? Just gimme the skrimps. And where's da fried sesame ball *with fork and chopsticks clinched* I don't like sweet entrees so the roast pork bun was a pass. I couldn't even bite through the shrimp dumplings...too cellophaney if that's a word. Too late it is now. Let's just say HE ate the roast duck. The grassy looking thing later helped the foodfest make it's move through my system. 'Twas a large plate serving for dim sum y'all! But we finished it. My only regret was missing out on the mango pudding....or was it? You may not be so lucky like us in finding a front parking spot right at their door but you'll find a spot eventually. There was a thrift shop in this location but couldn't waddle there due to me belly or I would've popped some tags (too late for this term?).
(4)
QP L.
I came here for dimsum today and ordered roast pork along with other food. We thought it's regular roast pig like other times we ordered before. When we look at the bill, they charged us $14.95 for one dish, which we don't know which one. It's all written in Chinese in the bill card. I asked and the waiter said it's the roast pig, which is baby roast pig, very expensive ($14.95 for like 6 pieces). We are shocked! We've been to this restaurant many times before and never knew baby roast pig was on the menu cart. I complained to the lady at the register, whom I think is the owner. She said all customers here knew and it's written in the bill card too. That bill card is written in CHINESE (how we're supposed to know?!) and the waiter didn't say anything specially when we picked it out from the cart. The lady also mentioned that they have regular roast pig Mon-Fri, but baby roast pig on Sat-Sun. But today is Friday!!! She didn't apologize or anything. I'm very disappointed in this restaurant's customer service. Will go to other dimsum restaurants in the area next time instead. Be careful when ordering roast pig at this restaurant unless you want to pay $15 for 6 pieces of small baby roast pig.
(1)
Josh C.
Average taste for a Dim Sum place.
(3)
Michael T.
Placed a large take-out order on a Sunday evening. Long wait. When I finally got my order, most of it was lukewarm. Otherwise the food was acceptable, but not anything that I would come back for. The wonton soup came with ZERO wontons. :-(
(2)
Steve W.
OMG what did I eat? Our duck was served raw, you could see the blood on the meat. We brought up this concern with our server and his response? He microwaved the dish and re-served it. Go to XOXO if you're looking for some worthwhile Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)
Shay D.
We stopped coming here because they changed the way they made their chicken feet. The seasoning was off . Also my bf informed me on the way home he saw a bug in one of the dishes. He didn't want me to freak out at the restaurant. GREAT!!! So now we are searching for a new dim house.
(2)
Mischita H.
The hot and sour soup and the roasted duck are pretty good. The fried wonton (think crab ragoon but with chicken) is pretty good but would be much better if there were more filling. The spring rolls -- also chicken filled were ok but a Iittle on the greasy side. The shrimp lo mein wasn't that good - won't be ordering that again! It is nice that they are open until midnight on Fri & Sat.
(3)
Jim H.
My goto dim sum place. If you're into authentic chinese food this is the place to go. If your into American Chinese food like general tso chicken try your local chinese resturant.
(5)
Gretchen P.
Probably my favorite dim sum spot in the area, Mark's Duck House is a regular stop on my restaurant rotation (especially when dining out with my mama!). They serve cart-style dim sum for lunch every day of the week, not just on weekends, and always have all the good stuff going: char siu bao, cheung fun, hao gao, radish cake, dan tart... the list goes on! Like with any pull-your-food-as-it-passes type of dining, the bill can add up QUICK, and often our eyes are much bigger than our stomachs. So go with a group, get down with sharing dishes, and enjoy yourselves! Oh, and drink water (LOTS of water), since dim sum by its nature can be pretty salty. Weekday dim sum can sometimes be a little colder, too, since they're not as busy, so don't hesitate asking them to heat something back up. They did a quick re-fry of the fried squid for our table and it was good as new!
(4)
Mike N.
The Dim Sum here is not as good as other places. They should have a health inspector come in and check up on their restaurant. My girlfriend and I were eating here once and she saw the server pick up a cockroach and kill it with his hands. Ew, wtf...?
(2)
Maria B.
Mark's Duck House has great Peking duck, as the name suggests but I go for the dim sum. I've only been at lunch time so I'm not sure if they do the carts at night. There's nothing fancy or trendy about Mark's dim sum, which is how dim sum should be. Everything I've ever eaten here is solidly good and the prices are fantastic. Great selection and they come around often so you can keep ordering and ordering.
(4)
Danny N.
Mark's Duck House is tucked in a strip mall at Seven Corners, an authentic Cantonese restaurant with BBQ and roast meat hanging by the window, and fish and lobster in the tank. I have been here for dinner for many years because I love their fresh and delicious food. A group of us went there for Lunar New Year dinner. When we got there at 6:30pm, the place was mostly empty. By 8pm, the place was fully seated, filled with energy, with additional people waiting for tables. We ordered from the Group Menu (6), family style. We had the BBQ special (roast duck and BBQ pork/char siu), crispy skin chicken, steam tilapia with ginger&scallion (fresh from the tank - it was very good), lobster with ginger&scallion (perennial fave), seafood combination, chinese broccoli, combo fried rice, and seafood tofu soup. Everything was very good except the BBQ pork. While we have ordered from the extensive menu prior, I highly recommend their Group Menu if you have 5 or more in your group. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, and the service was great! The younger owner was walking around, greeting customers and checking on the food/service. As it was the first day of Lunar New Year, he was also handing out red packets (filled with money) to the younger customers... Nice touch, indeed! 1/31/2014
(4)
Virginia C.
People rave about this place but both the food and service are mediocre.
(2)
Grace K.
The side dishes were delicious! As for the duck- I can't say the same. To be fair, it was my first time trying duck but it was a bit too slimy for my liking.
(3)
Ron H.
I was psyched about trying the Dim Sum here, I had recommendations from friends and co-workers, and the reviews on Yelp seemed to indicate this as one of the best in Northern Virginia. Read the warnings about a big crowd so packed the family early and we got to the place at 10:30AM. Well, ok maybe I'm just not a Dim Sum guy, I don't know - but I was really unexcited about most of the selections I ordered except the crispy pork. And the prices were just ridiculous for the amount of food we got. Granted, we got many dishes (I wanted to try everything) but in the end we only had enough left-overs for one carry-out container. Here's the deal, we ordered 2 ice teas, 2 bowls of white rice, a noodle plate, crispy pork, egg rolls, pork buns, shrimp dumplings, beef with flat noodles, warm tofu and sesame rolls and bill came out to $60 + $10 tip = $70. That's kind of steep in my book with only one box left over to take home. The ambviance, although athentic with it's hanging pigs and ducks in the window. is kind of seedy and run-down. The seating is very cramped and you have to maneuver around the carts and between occupied chairs in order to get to the bathrooms. Meh. I might try the Dim Sum experience again somewhere else before I totally write it off as something I'm not a fan of, but I doubt I'll ever be returning here.
(3)
Diana D.
Stopped in this place based on reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. Food was good and fresh. As others have stated if it's not on menu just ask and they will bring it. If your looking for atmosphere, wrong place, if you want good authentic Dim Sum this is your place!
(4)
Jenny E.
I am a huge fan of Mark's Duck House. In my opinion, as good as it gets when it comes to chinese food. I love their peking duck, and its the only place in the DC area that I will get egg drop soup cause their soup is velvety and delicious, not like the gloppy gelatious egg drop soup they serve at many chinese restaurants in the area. It can be a tad pricey but in my opinion it's totally worth it.
(5)
Mychelle H.
I've been going here since I was a child. I absolutely love coming on Saturdays for the dim sum. It's a small place, but there's a variety of items during the dim sum hours. The wait isn't usually too long surprisingly.
(4)
Leslie J.
This is THE ULTIMATE PLACE in the NOVA area to get dim sum. Must-get: Everything that rolls by you on a cart? Just kidding. Must-orders: - TARO PUFFS and lots of 'em! they are THE BEST around, and to be honest, I think MD makes 'em the best. - Stuffed Crab Claw w/ Shrimp - the sweet OR steamed pork buns - the spare-ribs - shumai - har gow - shrimp rice crepes
(5)
Audrey Z.
The place was dirty and the food was GROSS!!! The server was really nice. So not worth the time and money!!!
(1)
Jane C.
Heard the owner changed, decided to give them another try. It was a good decision - Very good dim sum! Got there Sunday around noon, had to get a number to sit down. Chrysanthemum tea was piping hot, and came with rock sugar. Everything we ordered was tasty, fresh, and yum yum. Especially the roasted baby pig~ Loved it :D
(4)
Myan T.
Every time I'm in NOVA I make sure that I somehow squeeze in a visit to Mark's Duck House and considering that I've been back about 5 times in the past year, I'm a fan of the place. Had it not been for an unusually upsetting occurrence this past weekend, this review would probably be about 4 stars. My boyfriend and I had dim sum with his father & cousin on Sunday and while we got quite a few dishes, we didn't get anything that was over the top. You can imagine our surprise/horror when the $80 bill came back. We asked the waitress what items were $14.95 and $17.95, she almost smugly told us that it was the dish of 5 slices of roast pork and the little dish of about 4 regular-size shrimp. Additionally, the fried crab/shrimp balls were $8 for a plate of 2 and the small bowl of spare ribs was about $11. Are you freaking kidding me? I am a lover of dim sum and have eaten it all over the US and all over the world and never in my life have I EVER paid more than about $8 for a dim sum dish. The night before, the four of us had appetizers, entres, and a bottle of wine at a restaurant in Dupont and the bill was $100! Ridiculous. NEVER AGAIN. The food is pretty good but my last experience really put me off the place. Not only did we walk away feeling like we'd been ripped off, the process of paying at this restaurant makes you feel like a criminal. Because we asked the waitress to clarify the bill, when my boyfriend tried to go find his father, he waitress snapped at both of us to "sit down." I'm used to be treated like a silly overly-Westernized Asian woman, but I do NOT appreciate being treated like a thief. ...Nevertheless, I am a sucker for a good bowl of Asian ramen so I will probably be back to Mark's Duck House because they have a great selection of ramen bowls for reasonable prices ($8-$10) LOL try to avoid this place for dim sum but if you dare to venture there, make sure you ask for prices as you go along!
(3)
Jim W.
We go here for dim sum. Usually, early so we can get the hot dim sum. On Saturday, April 26, we went after tennis. It was okay.
(4)
Mason B.
Ok. I don't write a ton of reviews and I've really been trying to bite my tongue but I just thought it best to do this. My wife and I were there last Sunday for their Dim Sum. The food was average and we were disappointed at even the duck. I love the idea of Dim Sum but even that turned out bad. So my wife wanted some fried rice and saw it on one of the carts. So she told the guy that when it came around she wanted to get some. He mistakenly or not went to the kitchen and got her a plate of pork fried rice; a huge one to boot. Not only was the place gross and just insanely dirty, but their comprehension of English was nonexistent. To make matters worse, I got a couple things of dumplings. I wanted to know if they had ponzu sauce and got no reply for the guy who was carting it around. I blew it off, no big deal. So we are paying our check and he comes over to a table full of folks and breaks out the ponzu sauce. I was hot = not very happy. I thought their treatment of us, neither one of us are Asian, was absurd. We won't be going back, but I hope you have a better experience than us if you try it out. Just make sure not to try the restrooms out.
(1)
Cyndy K.
9/15/12 Dim Sum @Mark's Duck House is sensational! We consider Mark's our favorite place for dim sum. We love the deep fried taro dumplings and consider it the best we've ever had. The taro dumpling is fried perfectly - a nice delicate crunch on the outside and the tasty taro on the inside. It is well done. The har gau streamed shrimp dumplings are great, the pan fried chive dumpling, shu mai, seafood & golden mushroom dumpling. Also love the steamed pork buns. Reminds me of the manapua from Hawaii. The steamed buns are done very well with a light sweet soft bun stuffed with great flavored pork. Mark's is known for the crispy roast pork - if you love pork you will have to order it! Crispy skin on the outside with nice decadent pork - very yummy! Recommend getting there by 11:30am or you will be with the masses and the chaos and getting hungry by the minute. Service is good and quick.
(4)
Stephanie T.
The dim sum is mediocre and the prices seem to always be changing. The cashier said prices have changed but still no new menu to reflect new price.
(2)
Richard C.
Went here for the first time. Delicious food...I love having carts full of food wheel by me so that I can pick from dim sum to spare ribs. You must get there early as the place gets packed! Service is not awesome but it's still decent. They fill your drinks up pretty quickly and try to be as attentive as possible eventhough it was hectic.
(4)
Chow N.
What better on a cold, windy night after a baseball game but a few bowls of dumpling noodle soup, brisket noodle soup, roast duck, and 6 large steamed oysters with black bean sauce and scallions ($29)? The latter goes great with rice. Pass the chili oil and soy sauce please.
(4)
Nina B.
Oh man, I really wanted to like this place. I was craving Dim Sum like no one's business, and I thought this would satisfy me. But, it was quite the opposite. First of all, they don't provide you with a dim sum menu unless you ask for it. We went on a Wednesday night. Secondly, there are no carts going around offering me the experience I was so desperately hoping for. When I did get my 4-5 plates of food, I was disappointed with the flavor. The steamed dumplings were rather dry, and everything else just lacked taste. I don't think I should have to douse my food in soy sauce to make it edible. Finally, when I got home, the food was causing my digestive system to grumble alot. It was a very uncomfortable night, where I was constantly telling my stomach to shut up. I've never felt so close to being an abusive boyfriend. Is there any really good dim sum in NoVa?
(2)
Sridhar S.
At last search for a good Chinese restaurant in the NoVA is over. The food keeps coming in carts, you can pick and choose what you want. Went for variety of dim sums, bbq ribs, spicy chicken noodles and finished off with their special tea. Service was fast and friendly. Must for any Chinese food lover. Hunt continues for a good Chinese buffet.
(4)
Meg G.
*This is a solid 3.5 stars* I'm no dim sum expert; but I do know food, so I am ready to review the many mini-dishes at Mark's Duck House. Taro cakes!!! Yum! I liked most of the dumplings. The stuffed crabs were pretty nice! I should've skipped the first round of pork they brought around for the ribs. Sauteed bok choy was pretty good, and I guess the veggie dumplings could be considered a healthy choice. I skipped the mussels, but will definitely try on another visit. I didn't try any noodles, or breads. I guess I was too hungry and eager, initially, to wait until the other carts came around. I ordered duck to go, but forgot to specify Peking duck - womp, womp :(.... Anyway, service is fast and friendly. The prices are just okay. I could eat all of the taro dishes 24/7. It's worth a trip to try. *Sunday brunch (10:00) turned out not to be as crowded as I feared*
(3)
Phuong N.
This place opens at 10am..unlike fortune dimsum, food isn't ready until 20-30 mins after. Our server is an old, slow, and rude man. The kitchen staff that serves the food is rude as well. Not a single smile. Not too impressed. Won't be back.
(2)
Jon H.
I've had some great and some so-so experiences at Mark's. Walk in on a Saturday around noon? No wait, carts are in-your-face, but some of the good things (like turnip cake) are slow to replenish and you end up seeing the same carts over and over again. Sunday around noon? A party of four might wait 30 mins or longer, but the carts are picked clean and you better frenzy when a good one gets to you. Other than that, Mark's isn't too bad. The price is a bit high (two people, not overdoing it just ordering dim sum), can get to like $30. Service isn't too bad (the runners are really fast and clean off tables quickly, but the carts can be spotty and ladies a bit pushy). The food is decent, you got your regular ha gow, shu mai, egg custard pastries, clams, pork spareribs, chicken feet.....the peking duck is actually pretty solid with crispy skins and served traditional style (steamed buns, scallions, sauce). Overall, just a so-so place. Won't blow your socks off, but we all know dim sum in Virginia is either hit or miss or just really too expensive. Mark's puts itself right in the middle.
(4)
Dmitry D.
This place is way over priced. For food that is nothing to rave about. It wasn't bad but I have had better. I would have gave it a three but they felt the need to approach one of the people that I was their with and asked him for a bigger tip. Listen people at marks duck house you are not owed the standard 15 percent it is up to the person giving it to you. And in this case he didn't think your service was worth it.
(2)
Nick H.
Short and simple. Mark's Duck House serves some of the best dimsum in Northern Virginia. As far as quality goes, it's incomparable. So why only 4 stars? It's too popular and too small for that level of popularity. Every time I go with friends, if I've got a group larger than 2, it's generally a 30-60 minute wait. The restaurant feels cramp and making your way around the close tables can be a hassle. Is it worth it for the food? Absolutely. But given that Fortune is across the street, my friends and I will go to Fortune 90% of the time simply because it's more suitable for larger groups and because the wait is generally less. But if you like dimsum at all, you can't really go wrong with either locale. And if you've never been to MDH, then I definitely recommend it.
(4)
Ginger H.
Was starving one night and stopped in. Had to back track to work and brought my husband the other night... simply put FANTASTIC. The service is wonderful and on the simple side... their Shrimp Fried Rice is PERFECT. I tried a seafood dish, chow fun, egg plant dish, duck, several dim sum and all were delicious. I can't wait to return for brunch to just do dim sum!!! Will be a favorite to return to over and over....Just wish it was closer to my house.
(4)
Michael J.
Very good food and excellent service. Again, your typical Hong Kong fare with all the right touches. You can even get dim sum off of their menu in the evening. My friend and I came here for a quickie birthday meal at 10PM on a Thursday night. Below is a short summary of our meal: Crispy skinned roast pork - Top notch. Not very fat nor very dry. Just the right amount of flavor and juice. To get this kind of BBQ outside of Hong Kong is rare and not all restaurants can pull this off. Tender chicken with mushroom clay pot (came out in a steel pot) - The chicken was indeed very tender and the mushroom flavorful. This is a dish that's hard to mess up in terms of presentation but getting the right flavor is difficult. Again, handled very well. (Dim Sum dishes) Shiumai, Shrimp dumpling, Beef meatball - The flavor in the dim sum was very well done and layered. More importantly, they tasted fresh and hot, as if just came out of the steamer. The only blemish is that the shrimp dumpling's skin was very brittle. It falls apart easily upon contact. That's usually not very good. Anyway, not a big deal, but just saying. Mango pudding - this is by far the BEST mango pudding I've had outside of Hong Kong. They had fresh, cubed mangos inside the pudding. The flavor was just right, striking a fine balance between sweet and tangy. You can tell they used fresh ingredients as opposed to processed mango flavoring. I will definitely get it again when I go back. My only complaint is the place is VERY FAR from metro and hard to access by bus. Basically, you can only get their by car. If not, I'll be going back every week. Highly recommend for those who love Cantonese food!!
(5)
Jessica H.
DIM SUM REVIEW. This is the only place in NoVa that I'm willing to go for dim sum. You MUST arrive by 11am, 11:30 at the latest. Otherwise you will be crammed into the tiny space at the front with all those other people for a very long time, waiting for a table. You put your name on a list, they give you a paper slip with a number on it, and then you wait. And wait. I'm used to New Fortune in Gaithersburg, which is approximately 100 times the size of Mark's Duck House. (Give or take.) But this place still has carts, and has most of the same food I'm used to. Sticky rice in banana leaves! Stir-fried string beans! Dumplings of various kinds! Chow fun! You might have to ask a couple times if there's some normal dim sum food that you want that you don't see, because they probably have some made and just didn't bring it by your table yet.
(4)
James L.
Had dim sum in several places in the US, namely San Jose, Philly, Orlando, Austin, etc....This is our second shot here at Northern Virginia. Our first experience after moving here being Hong Kong Pearl, which was actually above average despite the long waiting line. Food here deserves some compliments in their roasted BBQ and chicken feet. However, their dim sum dishes were simply mediocre. The tofu wrapped roll was not greasy (which is good) but had very plain taste in them, stuffed with mostly pork (a proper tofu wrapped roll should include bamboo shoots, water chestnut, and sometimes some fungus). They simply don't serve good dim sum. Above Pars: 1. Service - Service was fast and friendly, even though we were seated at the corner, the food carts kept coming without long waits. This is always a plus for dim sum restaurants. 2. Roast Pork - Good HK style roast dishes. I bet their roast duck is good. 3. Chicken feet - Their chicken feet were pretty good. Might not have the best flavor, but they do cook them thoroughly. Sub-Pars: 1. Pan fried leek buns - $3.50 for 3 leek buns? This is the most expensive leek buns I've ever eaten, and it's not even good at all.....Too little leek in it, and they were not brought out on a pan fried cart which keeps the heat in it. 2. Transparency of their pricing - $14.95 for a small dish of baby roasted pork? And you've read about the pan fried leek buns mentioned above......I don't like to go around eating dim sum and ask for the price of each dish, and I believe most people don't like that as well! I ended up eating three $3.50 dishes and a dish of baby roasted pork, paid more than $30 for two people........Out of all the places, I've never paid more than $22 for two people servings......You'll just have to give it a try to understand what I'm talking about...
(1)
Ross M.
I haven't been here in years, but I was in for a surprise. The food quality and service is a lot better than what I remember. China Garden can go F themselves. Bunch of amateurs over there. jasmine tea - okay crispy pork (lechon?) - good (thanks Kim V.) har-gow - good shoe-my - good chicken feet - good (easy peppery-spicy flavor) jew-chow-shau-bau - okay (when they aren't piping hot, they taste frozen-made) pineapple bun - i don't order anymore, freaks me out $37 for 2, friendly service, fresh food (we got there at 10:50am though), in and out in a jiffy. I heard Red Pearl in Columbia closed, so sad. Let's see how HKP and MDH go against each other since they are only 100 yards apart.
(4)
Jenny S.
This review is only for their dim sum since that is the only time I ever come. I've been to Mark's Duck House at least a dozen times just for dim sum. This is my go-to place since heading to Maryland is too much of a trek for me. The dim sum here is great- the shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls, fried taro, steamed dumplings, shrimp crepes and pork buns. Of course, every now and then you will find yourself eating a luke-warm place since the food has been sitting on the carts longer, but that is to be expected. Service is fine, nothing worth noting. I never have had an issue asking for the bill or a fork or my water refilled. Sometimes, service may be slower since this place is always pretty crowded on the weekends during dim sum hours. Even though it's packed, the line moves along fairly quickly. I don't think I've ever waited more than 30 minutes to be seated. With consistent food over the years I've been here, Mark's is definitely my go-to dim sum restaurant. There is a reason why this place is still around after so many years (and so packed), the consistent food hasn't changed much and people can rely on that. Just writing this review makes me want to eat there now!
(4)
Elina Y.
First visit was mediocre. Service was alright, nothing to scream about but not lacking. The shrimp in lobster sauce was alright as well, nothing out of the ordinary. Second visit was on Christmas Day for dim sum around 11am. CRAZY MISTAKE! We waited 45mins and the house was PACKED! My Chinese friend totally recommended this place for dim sum since I am not a native. Was I satisfied? Well... -Chicken feet: Ridiculously salty. -Dumplings: Almost cold. I asked for warm dumplings and the guy just reheated mine. How did I know? I took a small bite of one of the dumpling and they came right back to me. I was expecting a new plate of them. =/ Perhaps they were not up to par with their food because it was so crowded? I hope so....willing to give their dim sum another try on a non-holiday day since they come highly recommended. P.S. Their seating arrangements are very congested.
(3)
Rose N.
My go to for dim sum Sundays! The wait is always ridonkulous, but its the only decent dim sum place I know of in NOVA. Hot, fresh dim sum for sure. This place is always packed on Sunday. Sitting on the left side of the restaurant puts you at a disadvantage because once the carts stroll down to all the hungry restaurant goers on the right, all the good dim sum choices disappear quickly, esp the shumai (my favvvvv). We were really craving fried chicken too so we order their half crispy fried chicken (definitely not what we were expecting), it was ehh. I think I'll just stick to the dim sum.
(4)
Minwoo J.
Honestly I understand others comment during lunch time. I have been to lunch for dimsum which was a-okay, since I live in MD I went to better place for dimsum. However! I love this place for pecking duck. I mean I had pecking duck from Pecking Gourmet Inn but when I found this place I stop going to PGI. Name of the restaurant is Mark's Duck House. Have a duck!
(5)
Tan T.
Love this place! Food is good for the money.
(4)
Lan T.
I don't get out to Falls Church often, so when I do, I try to get my Asian fill. For my most reason trip I decided to check out Mark's Duck House. First of all, it too me FOREVER to find this place. I drove around several times until I found the place. Its in a strip mall called Willston or something that has a CVS and TD Ameritrade and next to some tequila bar or something. Anyway, on to the food! I ordered carry out. The guy taking my order was really nice and helpful. I ordered combination pan fried noodles, meat dumplings, shrimp dumplings, shumai, and chive and shrimp dumplings. The noodles were good, just what I expected. It had a combination of scallops, fish balls, beef, chicken, and other stuff in it. Although it seemed like there was only one or two of each thing in there. I think my favorite dumping was the chive and shrimp. The other shrimp dumpling and shumai were good as well. I guess the only dish I didn't really care for was the dumplings. I thought they would be the dumplings with the soup in them, but these looked and tasted like steamed pot stickers. The wrapper tasted fresh like they made it in house or just wrapped it recently, but I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. Anyway, I'd go back to Marks for dim sum. I ordered take out around 6pm, so their dim sum selection was a bit limited. Ok, so for the weird parking lot experience. I sat in my car to wait for my food. I was playing games on my phone, and I noticed from the corner of my eye, some guy that was just hanging out behind my car. He started wandering around my car, then wandering around the car next to mine, looking in the cars to see what was inside. Anyway, that freaked me out, so I moved my car to around the corner. Even after the weird parking lot guy and having to drive around a few times until I found the place, I'd go back to Mark's to try the other dim sum options. OINK!
(3)
Matthew M.
Today I had Dim Sum and it was delicious, The roast baby pig was crispy and moist, and BBQ Ribs are amazing!!!..My friend had the roast duck and said it was juicy and crispy as well. I can not wait to go back next week
(5)
Mia M.
Mark's Duck House is pretty good food, probably one of the best places around here for dim sum, but it's expensive enough that I won't be coming back for a long time. Some dim sum, 2 menu items: noodles and chicken, and $2.25 tea = nearly $70.00 lunch for 3 people. Best advice is always check the price before ordering off the cart. We didn't realize the saucer of baby pig is $15, that's what did us in. Their Peking duck is gooood.
(3)
Chris G.
Everything at marks duck is awesome. Basically. The general Tso's is sooooooo good. The bean curd is awesome. My mom gets a lot of their fish dishes, and they are really, really good as well. The service is super friendly and if you go frequently they will remember you. Just a great place for chinese, I go every time I'm in town.
(5)
Kat B.
4.5 stars rounded to 5. I've been here twice so far with the family. I used to think Peking Gourmet had the best duck but I've changed my mind! It's definitely Mark's Duck House...their duck is glazed with a really delicious sauce that reminds me of Chinese red roast pork (Char Siu). Contrary to Vivian C. I actually prefer their thin style of pancake over the regular style. The steamed ones can get soggy pretty quickly...either on the table or if you get take out in whatever bag they put it in. Even better than the duck though are their GARGANTUAN OYSTERS. Supposedly they aren't on the menu so it might be a good idea to call ahead and see if they have them. The oysters are lightly steamed and served with a really light but also extremely flavorful ginger scallion soy sauce. You can also order them fried (mother-in-law said was delicious) or with a black bean sauce which I haven't tried yet. I also really liked their snow pea shoots and seafood fried rice. The fried rice was packed with scallops, shrimp, crab, and salted fish and the rice wasn't too greasy. it was some of the best fried rice I've had in this country. I only have a couple things I can nitpick about: 1) their fresh fish was overcooked and a bit tough but the sauce was really good and 2) the sauce for their eggplant dish is a bit too sweet/sour for my liking and the skin is a little tough. It reminds me too much of hot and sour soup/fake Chinese takeout. They would be better off using smaller/younger Thai or Chinese eggplant. Their service is really efficient and friendly, even when the restaurant is totally packed. Plus at the end of the meal they gave us some duck carcasses upon request to take home so my mother-in-law could make some stock. The decor and ambiance could be a little better but honestly the foods so good that you have tunnel vision during the meal and only notice when you leave/enter! I don't feel as claustrophobic here compared to Peking Gourmet when they are equally packed. I'm looking forward to the next time I come here...and the mutant oyster!
(5)
Win C.
First time in VA, we went to visit a friend's brother and we decided to have dim sum before we leave. He recommended this place and I loved it. I wasn't expecting much from this place because I thought it was going to be very Americanized based dim sum, but they did keep it traditional. The flavors were packed I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(4)
John D.
The staff are clueless. One guy kept bumping into me every time he refilled our waters, and didn't even acknowledge it. I swear that I was going to eventually lose it. Then we ask for some custard buns, which we saw on the cart. They come by with some egg custard. No, custard buns. They have to grab someone else, and they "educate us" that they don't have custard buns, only pineapple buns. So we take those, cut one open, and we see that it's pineapple custard. OK man, whatever. The last thing that really grossed me out was when the servers refilled our waters each times, they put their hands on the rim of the glass. Pick up a glass and put your entire hand around the rim. Would you want to drink out of a glass where the person's hand is mixing everyone else's saliva with yours? No thanks. I stopped drinking water after seeing this multiple times. I can only imagine what might be happening in the kitchen where you can't see.
(2)
Nick A.
I don't know who Mark is, but he nailed it with his fowl house. A crap-load of food for not a whole lot of money - that was my take away. While this is normally the case with a lot of Chinese food places, the difference here was that it was actually really good. The menu is huge - with tons of choices. Lots of these look really good, and everything that we tried was excellent. Somethings, I'm not so sure about, but still really wanted to try - if you have had the Duck Tongue, please get in touch with me, because I am dying to know a) if it tastes good, and b) if the plate looks as hilarious as it does in my imagination (a bunch of triangular little duck tongues arranged in a rosette.) Duck-wise, do yourself a favor and get the duck; it's excellent, and a little less pricey than some other places in the region. Will be back, and definitely to try the dim sum!
(4)
Allen T.
I decided to try this place after seeing the good mentions about their Peking Duck. Should have stuck to the stereotype; why in the world would you order this dish at a Cantonese restaurant? Well, let's just say, this was a rookie mistake. We ordered a few dim sum dishes as appetizers and these were fine, except that the fried stuff were no longer warm, let alone hot. My wife was in the mood for Peking Duck. We didn't want to drive all the way to Tyson's Corner to China Wok and I think Peking Gourmet Inn is too expensive and over rated. It took forever to come out, but we didn't call ahead, so it is to be expected, but what they served us was the worst rendition of this dish I have ever been served. The meat was cold; it was not sliced properly. the skin was brown rather than golden and was heavy rather than light and crispy. Either this was an anomaly or the rest of you who said good things about their Peking Duck just have no idea what good Peking Duck is suppose to be like. Anyway, I'm sure they do the Cantonese standards fine, but stay away from their Peking Duck.
(2)
A.R. P.
As diverse a menu as Mark's Duck House offers, it is rather perplexing why it chooses to feature "duck" in its name. Why single out the duck to the exclusion of everything else? In fact, the curious phrase, "Chinese Seafood & Grill Restaurant" appears on its menu; and, a perusal of Mark's offerings lists shrimp, scallop, clam, oyster, lobster, fish, and crab specialties. They even have a heading featuring, "conch, squid, and cuttlefish." Without a doubt, seafood has a much more prominent place at Mark's than duck. However, as I wandered in for a late dinner, I was not going to allow all of these seafood items to dissuade me from ordering the duck. I mean, really, if Mark's is, in fact, a "duck house" as it claims; then, the roast duck surely must be pretty good, right? Well, so much for logic. The duck, actually, was not very good (at least, not on my visit). While the chef did not take the duck from the window display and egregiously microwave it, he did not necessarily find a satisfactory way to crisp the skin. Although I could tell that it had been flashed with hot oil, the result was only mildly effective as the skin was still more moist than crispy. And, despite possessing the traditional Chinese spice rub on its interior carcass, the duck was largely flavorless. To Mark's credit, it did serve a portion of vegetables with the standard roast duck on rice platter. Some of its nearest competitors may literally offer simply duck and rice (like Full Kee); some places (like Miu Kee) may generously serve yu choy (a Chinese leafy green vegetable). Mark's is somewhere in between these two extremes in offering nappa cabbage along with the duck. However, the nappa cabbage that accompanied the duck was grossly water-logged and overcooked. It seemed like it had been festering for hours in a cauldron of boiling water. It was totally bland and unappetizing. Wow... Really, if Mark's is a "duck house," then that sure doesn't bode well for duck houses. Maybe, I should amend that old test of inductive reasoning. Surely, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then, it's probably going to end up being a sub-par meal at Mark's Duck House." Sad, isn't it?
(2)
Sinbat S.
Stopped going there over 2 years ago for one reason: While sitting there eating with my family, I saw a cock roach crawling on the wall next to me. If you can eat your food while this is happening, be my guest.
(1)
TJ M.
How disappointing! I went here over a year ago and loved it. However, I went back recently, and wow, it was actually bad. For whatever reason, there were at least 2-3 dishes that were cold. You'd think they'd at least recycle/reheat a dish if it's been sitting for too long? Anyway, shame on me, I should have been more careful. But my stomach was angry at me later. If you keep an eye on what you're ordering, you should be able to avoid this problem. That being said, I expect better from a restaurant.
(2)
Lauren D.
Worst Dim Sum that I've ever had. Mediocre Chinese food, interior looks like one of those places on tv that is on a restaurant makeover show. Server sat down to eat lunch with other staff right next to us. Overall waste of time and money.
(1)
Gregg M.
In the never-ending pursuit of good dim sum, the Yelp Community offered up their recommendations on the best the area has to offer and Mark's Duck House was one of the more popular picks. Some friends (and fellow Yelpers) and I met Eric O, the Sensei of the Haiku Yelp Review, and a group of his friends (and fellow Yelpers) at Mark's for a Saturday afternoon dim sum feast. Having never been to Hong Kong or elsewhere in China, I have no idea what a truly authentic dim sum house should look like, but Mark's looked and felt like some of the better dim sum places that I've been to on the west coast...Chinese women pushing carts of steaming hot goodness, lots of multi-generational Chinese families enjoying a family meal, and lots of Chinese being spoken. Since my part of the group arrived a few minutes late (damn the traffic!), the rest of the party was already in full feed mode by the time we sat down. Sitting down was little bit of a challenge since the restaurant was packed and probably violating the fire code for exceeding its maximum capacity. The dining room layout coupled with the mass of humanity made it difficult for the food carts to maneuver and make their appointed rounds. Although Mark's is a relatively small restaurant, they only had three carts, at most, on the floor at any given time. That coupled with the lack of maneuvering room, made it take a bit longer than it should for carts to come around. By the time the food carts did make their way to our table, the food was sometimes cold or at least tepid (ex. roasted duck) or they were out of the selection we wanted (ex. fried sesame balls). Not to dwell on the negatives, despite the crush of diners, the service was quite good. Dirty plates were taken away regularly and we never waited any length of time for our water glasses and pots of tea to be refilled. Mark's Duck House did offer up some flavorful dim sum...certainly the best I've had in the area, so far....for a very reasonable price. When a party of eight can eat till they're full for less than $20 per person with tip included, that's good value! Needless to say, I'll be back!
(3)
Mark S.
Went here for Dim Sum a few months back. It was very disappointing. The food seemed soggy and greasy. Just didn't have the 'flavor' of other Dim Sum spots. Fortune across the street is much better and is bigger. I felt very cramped sitting inside Mark's Duck House. There are other Dim Sum places in the area that are better. I can't comment on their other dishes.. so this review is just for their Dim Sum.
(3)
Eric O.
Five or more people definitely calls for a reservation. Four hundred dishes is approximately what we ordered, give or take. Three dishes were disappointingly not readily available: luóbo go (daikon cake), sweet tofu dessert, and sesame seed balls. Two hundred thousand calories were consumed, at least. One wonders where Megan J and Jesse will take us next...? ;)
(3)
Amanda E.
Mark's Duck House has slid in as a later night favorite for noodle soup. Huge, steaming bowls of egg noodles and fish balls, or noodles, roast pork and wontons are my go-tos. Our fav greens are the watercress with bean curd paste. If you're up to try something beyond the usual Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, give them a shot. The peppery greens with the piquant bean curd paste is a perfect side to their soups.
(4)
Oliver J.
The reviewer before me paid $15pp... haha well let's just say we ate more than double that amount per person (no extra drinks or anything). I thought it was fabulous. The hot dim sum was great. All the dumplings, the veggies, the awesomeness. I'd try and explain the dishes I liked... but they all seemed like different forms of dumplings... idk. The duck or port with the crispy fried skin was cold, why? The pork ribs were cold, why? The pork bus were too doughy. The tea was meh. The staff kept touching the tops of my tea mug and water glass.... were they born yesterday? I have trouble giving this place lower than four stars because for the price and seemed like quality of the food... it all worked from me. I could eat here once a month.
(4)
Francis L.
Mark's Duck House provides the Norther Va area with a place to go for Chinese comfort food. Roasted meats (hanging chicken and ducks and pigs) and dim sum is what the place is know. For and Marks does both better than most for the Mid-Atlantic region. While not on par with the restaurants in the major Chinatowns in America the food is pretty authentic. The noodles are pretty authentic and good in a pinch. Overall if you are looking to find a pretty authentic Chinese food experience in the NOVA area you should at least give Mark's Duck House a shot.
(4)
LanChi N.
I've been going here since I was a kid from when it first started in Eden Center as a small compact restaurant serving Mi Noodle Soups,Carry Out and other dishes. But now it has become"THE DIM SUM PLACE"'. Everyone and there moms' are here every weekend. They have the most variety that i've seen for dim sum. There is always hot food coming out of the kitchen. Although what i've noticed is that between the hours of 1:00-1:30 is when most of the better dishes that you usually don't expect at dim sum come out. One thing to remember is to be patient because all the dishes that pass by may look really good but some may just be eh...decent. We usually get pretty decent service...it may also because we go here so often lol. Either way the food is good and is worth the wait if your willing to wait for it. Or if your your just in the mood for good chinese cuisine that isn't americanized this is a place to go.
(4)
Megan J.
Nine Yelpers sat down at the table And ate as much as were able Dumplings were stand-out But sesame balls were ran-out All in all, though, 'twas the dim sum so fabled!
(3)
Dana V.
Always reliable, excellent dim sum and friendly service. We love going here for New Year's Eve or any other time. Very reasonable prices.
(4)
Jackelyn A.
I had the Shrimp Dumplings from this place and they were so delicious! However, I soon became very upset and disappointed. Their Shrimp Dumplings are cooked with Pork fat!! I do not consume pork and I was disappointed that they did not mention this on the menu. Perhaps they should include that this dish is not just shrimp.
(2)
Kozmeaux D.
Late review; sorry. This might be the last time I patron this place. Crowded for sure, but that doesn't mean its a good place. Dim sum was luke warm and flavorless.
(2)
Vivian C.
Let me first start of by saying the service is wonderful. In many Chinese restaurants, the focus is not so much about customer service (ie: returning to see how satisfied customers are, refilling water, etc). The staff at Mark's Duck House is generally very friendly. The food was okay. Our table ordered the Peking duck, Sweet & Sour Spareribs Hong Kong Style, Diced Chicken w/ Anchovy & Eggplant Casserole and a blood cake dish. Keep in mind my family is Chinese. We tend to order dishes white Americans and non-Chinese folks are not too familiar with. The Peking duck wasn't the best I have tried mainly because the pancakes were very thin and dry. I'm used to them coming out steamed, moist, and of medium thickness. The duck itself was delicious: the skin was crispy brown and the duck meet wasn't to fatty. Like I said, though. Peking duck only has a few ingredients so not satisfying one of them definitely affects my views on this dish. The Sweet & sour spareribs are always delicious, but the portion is small for the price ($15). The spareribs were VERY small compared to the same dish from, say, XO Taste nearby. Very delicious, but not worth $15. The Diced Achovy & Eggplant casserole was delicious, but be careful not to dig right into it. It comes in a hotpot and is SUPER hot when the dish comes out (the waiter gave us a disclaimer). The anchovy is almost invisible and is basically salted fish. The eggplant is in chunks and the chicken isn't seasoned, but somehow everything goes well together. The blood cake dish is a dish Chinese people are familiar with. It is literally duck blood dried into cubes. Hence called cake blood. The dish also includes the kidney of a duck as well. I wouldn't say its delicious, as the cake has a minerally finish, but its not bad. The texture is that of jelly, sort of, but the flavor isn't something to shy away from. Give it a go, adventurous one =) I didn't give this place a 4 because I'm not a fan, but giving Mark's Duck House a 3 doesn't mean I dislike it. Like it says, this place is okay!
(3)
Isabella W.
Decorated with the usual Chinese restaurant tackiness, Mark's Duck house offers some good dishes to satisfy the need for real Chinese food. We ordered: ------------DISH--------------- ------I WOULD------- Dumpling Noodle Soup Pass Peking Duck w/pancakes Order again Chicken Fried Rice Pass Chinese Watercress with garlic Order again The dumpling and the fried rice were not stellar just plain and edible. The peking duck is deboned and you do not get the bones to go even when you paid for the whole duck nor see them slicing it in front of you, I do feel kind of cheated on that. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, even more after I spoke Chinese to her.
(3)
Cynthia L.
*I haven't eaten here, but I've carried out their peking duck. About $25 for a whole duck, nicely marinated and meaty, unlike other places I've been to. It's right next to Eden Center and always packed whenever I visit. 4 Star because I can't say anything about their food yet & because when I paid with credit card, they add a "surcharge" to your bill.
(4)
Cecile K.
[This review is for their dimsum and duck] Good dimsum seems hard to find in DC/VA area, so my friends and I scoped out a few before choosing here (China Garden was a close second). Those who aren't familiar with dimsum in general (myself included since I have only gone a handful of times), the best time to go is for lunch on the weekends. Not only do you get a wide variety of selections, but also see the waiters and waitresses pushing metal carts with delicious goods to pick-and-choose from. (For me, that is half the fun.) My friends and I went for dinner on a weekday. Despite being skeptical, we still went because their website listed a dimsum menu (with pictures) for dinner/weekday. They said it was "limited", but we had no idea that it meant "hardly any food". The waitress was curt with us and seemed baffled why we were even asking for dimsum. She would respond with a "No. We out." whenever we would point at a particular dish on the menu (the carts were not there). We narrowed it down to about 4, 5 dishes split among five people. It was not enough, so we also ordered the duck. The few dishes we had were very good. I particularly remember their Sticky Rice (3 per dish) and their Sesame Balls (3 per dish). The food came out quickly and was hot, chewy, and flavorful (not too salty or oily like other places). The prices are a little higher than what you expect at a dimsum restaurant--I think we paid $4 or $5 for each dish. The amount per dish was a good size for 1-2 persons, not ideal for a group--unless you go on the weekends. Also, "sharing" dishes are hard since each dish comes out with 2-4 pieces of food. Unless you want to be THAT person and say, "This one is mine. Don't touch. But can I have some of your pork belly?", you will hardly get your fill. The duck was a little on the oily side. (My duck dish was glistening by the time we finished dinner.) It can stand on its own (great taste and consistency), as long as you don't compare it to Peking Gourmet Inn. One thing it does beat out is the price. We had a full duck and was pretty surprised at what the bill came out to. Overall: -Go for the duck -Go for the dimsum but only for lunch on the weekends when they have the carts -3 stars bc of the limited selection of food, even though their dinner/weekday still displayed a good amount -3 stars bc the food was delicious, even with the two, three available dimsum dishes they had
(3)
Juliet K.
been here a couple times. once for dim sum and once for dinner. dim sum: it is better than some places. but it is a bit greasy to just beware. i like this place better than fortune on rt 50 because i think it has better flavors, but i like hong kong seafood pearl restaurant better since it is less greasy. so just depends on how greasy you like your dim sum. dinner: ordered kingdom pork. its pretty good, but not the best that i've had. I thought the pork could have been crunchier, and the sauce was a little too sweet. overall, decent chinese food. it seems to be a very popular place so it gets busy. For dim sum, they made us share a table with others but i didnt really mind. its not the cleanest place, or the fanciest - but it definitely get the job done for whatever chinese options you might be craving.
(3)
Michael K.
I've had Hong Kong and then I was introduced to Mark duck...the dim sum comes out fresh, the cart doesn't take forever and a day to get to you and the servers are always on point. The chicken feet have a great flavor and just the right amount of spice. Couldn't be happier, me and my girlfriend go here every Saturday and we have not been disappointed...yet. Black bean clams are excellent as well.
(4)
Jenny T.
Best authentic Hong Kong style dim sum I've found thus far in DC area and pretty great dinner selection as well. I definitely frequent this place. Food is fresh and delicious! Special dim sum menu on weekends. Opens at 10am, but there is usually a crowd waiting, so arrive fairly early if you don't want to wait. The later you are, the more likely you'll need to wait ~30 minutes. There isn't a large area to wait, and everyone gets little cutout numbers...it's a crazy system, but it works! Staff is pretty helpful, but it gets pretty hectic during the special dim sum hours. All other hours, I have no problem with getting attention. For those of you who aren't familiar, they have ducks hanging in the front window! Get the Peking Duck if you've had it; you won't be disappointed. (It's pretty much like...duck burritos, except the sauce is absolutely amazing and almost MAKES the dish)
(5)
Tiger C.
The place is like any other smaller Asian restaurant, it definitely cannot be labeled clean but I would not call it dirty either. It definitely has traditional Chinese dishes, and the waiters are funny enough to be on Broadway as extras with one-liners. With those comments aside, the food was real decent. Not amazing but not bad at all. Potstickers were fried up a bit more than I usually have at Chinese restaurants, but the filling was good. The Peking duck was really not bad at all. Peking Gourmet is more traditional with the smaller wraps and the thinner cut onions though. Only thing that I did not really like about the duck was the tortilla was big enough that it seemed to come straight from the Mission tortilla bag that you buy at your local Safeway. Snow pea vegetable that looked like spinach was great. Finally, beef chow fun was decent, surprisingly it was not as salty or oily as other restaurants, but probably what led to its bland flavor.
(3)
Kate O.
I like that they open at 10:00am on Sunday. This gives us enough time between getting up, getting ready, and get there before it gets very busy. This also ensures that the food we get off the dim sum carts are fresh and piping hot. We never had a bad meal here. If you want something and it is not in one of the carts, they will make it for you.
(4)
Mary D.
Not sure what happened to this place, but all the hot food we ordered was cold and prices went up significantly. Two of us used to spend about $30 here, and today we spent $50 for a smaller amount of food than we usually get. Will not be coming back here anytime soon.
(2)
Lindagrace D.
We had my three-year-old's birthday party here because we all LOOOVVVE dim sum (we made reservations 2 weeks in advance)!! We had two large tables of ten, side-by-side. What's nice about dim sum dining in a big group is that everyone is able to select little plates that please them. There is something for everyone! There were even vegetarians in our party that enjoyed the vegetable dumplings (steamed and fried), noodles, and sauteed bok choy. The quality of dim sum here is excellent, and my top picks include: shumai, shrimp dumplings, crab balls, and of course, duck!! We hosted the party, and for 20 heads, the bill was around $340. Not bad, not bad at all for a bunch of happy, smiling, full people. P.S. - This place gets PACKED like a hot nightclub. You will always see a herd of folks clumped up outside the entrance doors, waiting to be seated, so come early!
(5)
Elizabeth S.
I love the dim sum here. We usually come here about twice a month on Saturdays. We get here around 10-11am because after that it gets uber busy and you would have to wait for a while. I love the smell of duck that comes to your nose right after you walk in. The service is excellent. I seem to notice that they place servers in certain parts of the floor and they only concentrate on serving those tables. They are very fast at removing your plates and they come by pretty fast with the dim sum. The price is reasonable but not as good as SF or Portland. I can't believe a broccoli dish cost 5 dollars though.... The food seems to never be old because they get so many customers that they always refill. Overall i love this place.
(4)
Tom T.
Dim sum was our goal Sunday and were headed to another location when a buddy texted to pull over and turn around to try Mark's Duck House. The NAME didn't convey Dim Sum but pulled the trigger. The wait wasn't bad as we were near the end of the rush and was surprised by the popularity of the place: packed. Now the discovery phase: what's so good about these people's experience here with Dim Sum? Cart 1 - loaded up with my usual go to dishes and watched where they marked the price on my ticket... Over all the food was ok, staff service not bad and funny. They were attentive and happy all around and even busted on the veteran waiter who dropped a stack of clean dishes. He was busting up laughing about it too as he was razzed by his co-workers, so I saw it was a good place to work for them. Would I go there again soon, perhaps in a year. Nice discovery, average dim sum, good service.
(3)
Jennifer M.
Came here on a Sunday for brunch and saw that this place was definitely popular. We haven't been here for years and thought it was time to give it a try again with all the good reviews. We were seated after about 35 minutes. Prices are ok (only slightly higher) for the area at about $3.50 per dim sum plate. Food is good and the flavors are right. I'm Cantonese and I know/love my dim sum. They don't have much in terms of variety though. However not everything they roll around is kept covered/heated. I also overheard a manager go tell a server to take dishes back to the kitchen for a cook to reheat... so I don't know how long some dishes have been around for the day... very iffy... In the end, a decent place but price, portion, and variety aren't good enough.
(3)
Fouad A.
First of all, their hot and sour soup is some of the very best I've ever tasted. 10 out of 10. (You get a large bowl that serves 2.) But they fall short in some other areas. The most important is the concept of Chinese sauces. Sauces are the heart of Chinese cooking, yet inexplicably they gave us zero to almost none, with our entrees. Also as a Chinese restaurant they don't list Szechuan Chicken, which is my favourite Chinese dish. Their spring rolls are filled with some kind of grey meat, probably pork, and come with inappropriate sauces. Mark's specialises in seafood and duck, so why not fill the spring rolls with seafood (shrimp, for example) or duck? They are in a neighborhood with many Vietnamese, so much so that their English menu has Vietnamese as a second language. Why not serve Vietnamese spring rolls? If they stick with grey meat, how about an appropriate sauce such as A1 sauce? Another suggestion to them is that they serve chicken dishes with white meat rather than dark meat, because most people prefer it. Bottom line so far: The H&S soup is great. I wish we had tried seafood or duck, and I'm sorry we tried the spring rolls.
(3)
Yaima R.
Solidly good dim sum at reasonable prices. I especially liked their roasted duck, very tasty.
(4)
Chris D.
Twenty years ago, my screen name on Prodigy was DimSum. Why? Well, I spent a lot of time at a Chinese friend's house growing up and when creating our aliases, we thought it would be awesome if they were complementary. We also loved food, especially Chinese food. In fact, we ate way too much food. So, after about as much deliberation as overweight pre-teens can muster, we decided on Eggroll for him and DimSum for me. We thought we were clever and were destined to be deemed kings of our ANSI-based text world. At the very least, the ladies would be impressed... wouldn't they? Well, that angle didn't quite pan out but at least the story serves an appropriate (?) context of my love of dim sum two decades later. A love, that as best as I can tell, is the only reason I would wait 50 minutes for a table. I can't remember the last time I waited more than 15 minutes anywhere, but for whatever reason, I was happy to get pushed around a crowded entryway while waiting for our number to be called. Overall, the quality of the product is some of the better in the area. Turnover is high so dishes are usually hot, fresh and delicious. Some items are better than others, but personal taste tends to play a large roll in your preference. Things I can't wait to have again include the fantastic Peking Duck skin, shark fin dumplings and steamed oysters as big as my fist. The sad part of the whole experience, or any dim sum experience really, is that it's over before you even realize it started. I wanted to go back 6 hours later and do it all over again in hopes of extending the enjoyment. I'm not sure I'd wait 50 minutes for a table twice in one day, but who knows... I make poor decisions when they wheel those carts past me every few minutes. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Eggroll and I are not only still friends; he's the one who recommended Mark's to me. That's how we roll. (Horrible pun intended.)
(4)
Ariel H.
Having tried essentially all dim sum places in the DC/MD/VA area, we remain a dim sum regular at Mark's Duck House. The dim sum really is better than what you can get at the other dim sum places nearby (i.e. HK Pearl Seafood restaurant, Fortune at least). Also love their variety of steam dumplings. In addition to the typical ha-gaw (shrimp dumpling), they have chive and shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling, golden mushroom dumpling... etc. Prices are reasonable and service is fast/solid. They get very busy during weekend lunch time, so make sure to come early. I've also been here for normal meals and typically enjoy their yee-mien? (noodles) and stuffed three treasures. They have a standard "cantonese" style menu. Unfortunately, 1 star off for the ambience / cleanliness.
(4)
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Address :6184 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA, 22044
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Eme U.
I didn't eat inside so I can't comment on the restaurant itself, but I did order the food to go and loved what I ordered. For more than a year, I've been looking for dim sum reminiscent of my time in Los Angeles. Since moving from Annandale to Falls Church, I've been seeking some good Hong Kong style food tirelessly, but little did I know this hole in the wall looking place would serve what I needed. I ordered shu mai and steamed shrimp dumplings, and they were glorious. I'll return and give a full review next time. Note: don't go there during lunch time on Sundays because there will be a line.
(4)Laura S.
I've never had the dim sum here but my stomach can definitely say a good word or two about the to-go menu of roasted pork and duck. When you walk in, just go up to the counter w/ the shade half drawn on the right side (you'll see all the delicious roasted meat hanging in the window), say hello and tell them your order. In about 5 min you'll have a ticket to pay with at the register and a to-go meal. Super easy and everyone there is really friendly. I bring it all home and serve it up w/ some freshly made rice from my little zojirushi! All the meats are very moist and well flavored but my absolute favorite is the roast pork b/c it's like lechon (you know what I'm talking about here *queue all my filippino friends*). Super crispy skin and moist flavorful juicy meat.
(5)Maria-Elena T.
I am a regular here; I love the food. I can't go in without ordering the won ton soup, the shrimp dim sum, and of course, the duck (half order)! This time I ordered the Causeway Bay Dungeness Crab, a chef specialty. It was about 2-2.5 lbs and fresh out of the tank in the back. It was delicious!
(4)Colin C.
I had been here years ago and never had dimsum here before. Heard there are better spots in Maryland but didn't want to go that far. Not to be super pretentious but I like dimsum a lot and have had in Hong Kong, sanfran, Hawaii, and other popular spots in California. This isn't up to those standards but very good for the area. Tons of options, dumpling wise and fried, etc. Prices aren't great but not horrible either. Of course more than regular takeout Chinese but lots more options of course. Service not horrendous and all in all a good experience. Try the dumpling cart the most over the fried one. Some of those can get a big soggy or not as good sitting out. But in general most things are good. The duck was a bit overrated and I've had better sesame balls. Other than that can't complain about anything I tried including the veggies even. Really liked the pancake thing, pork buns, chive fried dumpling, calamari, shrimp steamed dumpling.
(4)A N.
Over the winter of 2015 I developed a dim sum craving and visited many places in DC, MD and NoVA. For my money, Mark's Duck House is the best place for dim sum in the DC area and compares favorably to the best dim sum restaurants in San Francisco and Toronto. Here's why: -Classic, generously portioned Cantonese-style dim sum. -The classic favorites (shu mai, shrimp crepes, pork buns) are supplemented by more unusual and delicious choices: abalone, scallop, and lobster dim sum. These more exotic choices are pricy, but worth the splurge. -Barbecued meats (pork, duck, spareribs) and other entrees supplement the dim sum. Barbecued meats are exceptional here and are available for takeout. -Service is excellent. -Seating is ample. Our best dim sum meal at Mark's was on a Saturday at 2 pm. Availability was somewhat more limited later in the day and a number of the items were served cold (but were promptly reheated.) On weekdays, dim sum are available from a printed menu.
(5)Diana P.
I was too lazy to make the trip into MD for dim sum so we decided to stay local. Because there's really not much options available in NoVA, I gave this a try. I only know of this place because my parents usually come here for the crispy pork when the mood strikes them. The pork was delicious when I was able to try some of my parents' purchases when I visited so I assume the dim sum must be good too. I can say it fulfilled my siu mai, tripe, and dumpling cravings; however, I've had better. The choices are extensive and we didn't try them all so there could be some very good dishes amongst the many decent/okay ones. I would come back due to the proximity of this place to my residence. It gets packed on the weekends so I recommend coming early to beat the crowds.
(3)Gloria W.
It's a good dim sum restaurant. The roasted pork, shrimp dumplings, and chicken feet taste good. But it will be better if more kinds of dim sum are available.
(5)Rusia L.
Mark's Duck House. Yes, duck. For many that alone is enough to say no thank you. But for all those duck fans out there, the roast duck is extraordinary. The menu is a typical Cantonese menu with, in my opinion, a great seafood selection. The noodle dishes are yummy as well. The service in the restaurant is sufficient but the ambiance is a bit lacking. The lighting is a bit dim for my taste, and there are usually workers running around or preparing ingredients in the dining area which can be a major turn-off for some people.
(3)Ning Z.
After living 5 minutes away from this place for almost a year, we finally made a trip to it this Sunday for dim sum. They open at 10am and knowing how dim sum lines can be at other places, we got there at 10:05am. We were also super hungry. Note to the zealous though, do not go there that early. They will NOT be ready with food. We were seated immediately and a waiter asked us our tea preference and brought that out quickly, but the food? Not so much. They were still getting ready and they only had a cart full of bread rolls. Then, a few minutes later, one of the waitresses brought a plate of roast baby pork. Being hungry, of course we said yes, but later, at the end, I found out that pork was $14.95. It wasn't even a big portion. It was bigger than a regular dim sum portion in that it had about 6-7 pieces, but for $14.95 I expect a whole plate, not one of those tiny ones that's about appetizer size. Granted I feel tricked that they did that - opening early with no food ready and then tempt you with the roast pork since there's nothing else!! Gah!! Just beware! The pork was definitely not worth $14.95! I could've gotten 4 other items with that!! Other than that initial hiccup, once the food started coming, everything was great. We enjoyed everything we had - shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, bbq pork bun, pork ribs, etcs. Although I have to say that I like the food from China Garden in Rosslyn just a bit more, but not enough that I would prefer one over the other. But since it's a smaller restaurant the carts come around a lot quicker. The service was great, especially compared with China Garden where you're pretty much ignored the entire time until your check. Other than the carts moving around, there're plenty of waiters standing around that you can always wave to your table and ask for some specific item if you didn't want to wait for that cart to come around. I spilled the spicy chilly sauce all over the table and they cleaned it up quickly and brought out more napkins. Overall, I had a good experience here. It's 5 minutes away from my apartment, so yeah, I'm definitely coming back here whenever that dim sum craving hits!
(3)Chris C.
My rating in the Nova area, not including DC: #1 Lotus Garden in Vienna, #2 Hong Kong Pearl, #3 Marks Duck house, I haven't tried too many other places so what I'm trying to say is MDH is last on my list. Marks Duck House is really not that impressive, their duck is dry and bland as well as their roasted pig. It appears kind of dirty in there which I wouldn't care about if the food was good. Really unimpressive food.
(2)Julia N.
This might sound crazy but I was craving Chinese food (insider). So that brought us here. I'm not surprised about this Chinese place being just alright. Wasn't expecting anything more than that. Service was okay. Our waiter seemed to beat around the bushes when we asked him questions about the menu though.. We were asked at least 3 times if our food was okay. Although that shows good attentiveness, it was a little too much in my opinion. Food was typical. I'd have to say the whole fish was disappointing as heck. The black bean sauce could have been mistaken for water and the whole tilapia could have lived in a gold fish tank. It was that small. Yet we paid $20+ for it when we can get a much bigger whole steamed fish with an actual black bean sauce for cheaper elsewhere. Everything else we ate is not even worth mentioning. Hopefully their dimsum is better though. Not a bad place but I wouldn't waste too much of my money here.
(3)Joseph B.
I came here with family for lunch. Food was average and then towards the end of the meal we found a roach crawling around the table. There are serious cleanliness issues with this place.
(2)Elvis L.
Grew up coming to this place. The dim sum here has been constantly good. But they really need to expand on the restaurant. Pros: Dim Sun is good Hot entrees is good Cons: Seating Could use a bit of remodeling Messy Restaurant is too small
(3)Sarah C.
3.5 stars I'm not a foodie....just hungry so it took me forever to try this spot. The better half and I decided to trek over to this area since I had a whole day with him *yay*. Even though it was packed they had plenty of tables for smaller groups like us - the larger groups though had a different experience. This is my first dim sum experience with him. I'm not a dim sum type but this may change. I tried to take as much food porn as possible but sometimes the dish was gulped away before I trigger my phone. Am I being too commercial in saying that I liked the fried shrimp balls? A bit salty but still memorable and pretty too (pretty in my mowf ^_^). I haven't met a shrimp and pork dumpling that I don't like. If you mess that up then... Roast pork noodle crepe??? Right here. Shrimp noodle crepe? Just gimme the skrimps. And where's da fried sesame ball *with fork and chopsticks clinched* I don't like sweet entrees so the roast pork bun was a pass. I couldn't even bite through the shrimp dumplings...too cellophaney if that's a word. Too late it is now. Let's just say HE ate the roast duck. The grassy looking thing later helped the foodfest make it's move through my system. 'Twas a large plate serving for dim sum y'all! But we finished it. My only regret was missing out on the mango pudding....or was it? You may not be so lucky like us in finding a front parking spot right at their door but you'll find a spot eventually. There was a thrift shop in this location but couldn't waddle there due to me belly or I would've popped some tags (too late for this term?).
(4)Ai C.
This is my favorite local dim sum place. Its usually busy on the weekends between 11-2, so arrive early. 4-5 carts are constantly going around, so you don't wait much. If the dish is cold, they can heat it up for you. Its a moderately priced place, so expect to pay around $50 for 2 people.
(4)QP L.
I came here for dimsum today and ordered roast pork along with other food. We thought it's regular roast pig like other times we ordered before. When we look at the bill, they charged us $14.95 for one dish, which we don't know which one. It's all written in Chinese in the bill card. I asked and the waiter said it's the roast pig, which is baby roast pig, very expensive ($14.95 for like 6 pieces). We are shocked! We've been to this restaurant many times before and never knew baby roast pig was on the menu cart. I complained to the lady at the register, whom I think is the owner. She said all customers here knew and it's written in the bill card too. That bill card is written in CHINESE (how we're supposed to know?!) and the waiter didn't say anything specially when we picked it out from the cart. The lady also mentioned that they have regular roast pig Mon-Fri, but baby roast pig on Sat-Sun. But today is Friday!!! She didn't apologize or anything. I'm very disappointed in this restaurant's customer service. Will go to other dimsum restaurants in the area next time instead. Be careful when ordering roast pig at this restaurant unless you want to pay $15 for 6 pieces of small baby roast pig.
(1)Josh C.
Average taste for a Dim Sum place.
(3)Michael T.
Placed a large take-out order on a Sunday evening. Long wait. When I finally got my order, most of it was lukewarm. Otherwise the food was acceptable, but not anything that I would come back for. The wonton soup came with ZERO wontons. :-(
(2)Steve W.
OMG what did I eat? Our duck was served raw, you could see the blood on the meat. We brought up this concern with our server and his response? He microwaved the dish and re-served it. Go to XOXO if you're looking for some worthwhile Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)Shay D.
We stopped coming here because they changed the way they made their chicken feet. The seasoning was off . Also my bf informed me on the way home he saw a bug in one of the dishes. He didn't want me to freak out at the restaurant. GREAT!!! So now we are searching for a new dim house.
(2)Mischita H.
The hot and sour soup and the roasted duck are pretty good. The fried wonton (think crab ragoon but with chicken) is pretty good but would be much better if there were more filling. The spring rolls -- also chicken filled were ok but a Iittle on the greasy side. The shrimp lo mein wasn't that good - won't be ordering that again! It is nice that they are open until midnight on Fri & Sat.
(3)Mina C.
Dim Sum Review- I would just say its okay. Its closer to where I am most weekends, and I can go to eden afterwards so I don't mind going to this place. It isn't the best, but it isn't the worst. my preference is oriental east, but that's in downtown silver spring, quite a hike. I like the variety, but sometimes items are cold and rubbery. the people pushing the carts can also be very demanding and persistent.
(3)Gretchen P.
Probably my favorite dim sum spot in the area, Mark's Duck House is a regular stop on my restaurant rotation (especially when dining out with my mama!). They serve cart-style dim sum for lunch every day of the week, not just on weekends, and always have all the good stuff going: char siu bao, cheung fun, hao gao, radish cake, dan tart... the list goes on! Like with any pull-your-food-as-it-passes type of dining, the bill can add up QUICK, and often our eyes are much bigger than our stomachs. So go with a group, get down with sharing dishes, and enjoy yourselves! Oh, and drink water (LOTS of water), since dim sum by its nature can be pretty salty. Weekday dim sum can sometimes be a little colder, too, since they're not as busy, so don't hesitate asking them to heat something back up. They did a quick re-fry of the fried squid for our table and it was good as new!
(4)Marada C.
Delicious but make sure not to come here if you're on a budget, unless you're super disciplined! The food here is delicious and very mixed. You have you're typical "Americanese" food, which I've never tried because WHY?! But their Chinese BBQ (we're talking roasted duck, soy sauce chicken, roast pig with crispy skin, BBQ roast pork, etc) pit is phenomenal! Just writing this post makes my mouth salivate. The prices are pretty consistent with the area. Make sure you let them know if you want your meats warmed up, cause they serve them room temperature on purpose to not over dry the meat. Even their menu is delicious, dim sum and all. I consistent spend $30+ or more here when I come for 1 person (usually, there are left overs... usually). The food is delicious and the staff if pretty friendly as well! The prices for the menu tend to be a bit on the higher side as well, but the food quality is delicious so I can't complain.
(4)Rich K.
The place inside is old and drab.Nothing much for ambience. I don't eat ambience, do you? We ordered crispy quail and shrimp dumplings all tasty and excellent. Then roast duck on rice and moo shu pork.The duck roasted perfect with hints of five spice and soy glaze.The pork with vegetables came piping hot and perfectly seasoned. I commend the chef for not drowning the pork in sauce.Absoultely the best Chinese food in northern Virginia hands down!
(4)Billy E.
I don't know enough to really judge the quality of dim sum versus other restaurants in the area, but as a casual fan of dim sum I can say I enjoyed Mark's. Everything we got was interesting and tasty, even though most of the time we couldn't immediately tell what it was. Service was very good and you can start eating almost as you sit down. I would definitely come here again.
(4)Tim H.
Went on a Sunday morning for dim sum. Most of it was excellent and the service was good. Got to the end to find out the little pork dish we got was $14.95! For maybe a 1/4 lb of pork max! Completely absurd and killed the experience. It was marked on the paper where there was no price - just Chinese characters. If you go and they mark there, beware.
(2)Trinh T.
Our go to for dim sum when my family comes to town! The suckling pig (baby pig) is the best in the area. It gets quite crowded during the weekend peak hours but worth the wait if you craving some dim sum!
(4)Wesley Y.
Came here on a Sunday at around 4:30. my gf and I were having a lazy Sunday so we missed the usual dim sum hours. The paper dim sum menu prices are INCORRECT. DISREGARD. PAPER. DIM. SUM. PRICES. I ordered a lot more dim sum items then I should have because it was so "CHEAP" only to find out it really wasn't. I think Mark came up to our table to ask how we were doing after hearing the argument that happened ..... While we were waiting for our half peiking duck there was a lot of commotion in the kitchen 2 guys arguing in Cantonese and it was a very heated argument. After a good 10 minutes of shouting and the servers trying to calm the kitchen down a very pissed off looking chinese man came out of the kitchen and sat down at a table. I was hoping a fight would ensue in the kitchen =.=. The dimsum items were all tasty, but not after finding out the prices were changed. They do serve dimsum all day. Can't compare this to New Yorks cheap dim sum spots but it'll do for now. The peiking duck was really good, the server actually rolls your first wrap for you. I would rather wrap it myself but whatever. They show off how pro they are at using 3 spoons!
(3)Chanel D.
This was my first foray into the world of legitimate dimsum. (Sorry, place that rhymes with Bing Bong.) First, let me say, hooray for the prices. Awesome! We ate like royalty and weren't paupers after the check arrived. I went with a friend who knows his way around the menu and what to expect at a place like this. I don't remember everything we ate because it was a blur of dishes selected from push carts. The crispy duck and vegetable dumplings both stand out in mind. My only ding is that some of the noodle dishes that should have been hot were room temperature. So, that was a little off putting. Make sure that you get there earlier on the weekend because this place can get really busy with the line out the door. So, if they catch you lingering after you've paid the bill, you will definitely get the stank eye. I will definitely go back! Worth a try.
(3)Clara L.
A decent option for dim sum at Mark's. I will have to say, the variety is not plentiful, but each option is pretty solid. Due to the way they serve the food, some of the dim sum can get a little cold by the time it gets to your table. They should invest in more heated or covered carts. It is not overly pricey, so you can get a good meal without breaking the bank.
(3)Srta L.
It was all delish. We went there on Saturday morning and let me tell you one of the best DimSums I had in a long time. Service is great as well. I think it was a little overpriced we were 3 adults and 1 kid and the total including tips and taxes $75
(5)Michael L.
I could not believe how delicious the Peking duck was. I have eaten it in Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver and been delighted. This was better. The Chinese broccoli with garlic was masterfully prepared. The tofu with chili and spring onion was unimpressive.
(4)AL K.
Review is primarily for the dimsum. We walked in and was warmly greeted in Thai. The wait staff assumed that we were. why? Anyway we were promptly seated and the carts (2) started to roll by. This cart guy was aggressively suggesting on what to put down on our table. He had the the steamed rolls so we ordered a couple and refused some. The next cart was all the fried stuffs which didn't interest us. Limited choices. We ordered young chow on the side to compliment with all the food we ordered. Water glasses were routinely filled and dishes were cleared accordingly. I would have to say that service during this visit was great!! The carpet is nasty and management has to seriously consider changing it.
(3)Cindy L.
OMG. I was deathly ill after I ate here. I've been here a couple of times but I may never go back from sheer fear. I usually come in for dim sum but this night...THIS NIGHT...it was dinner. It wasn't the FOOD that made me sick...my roomey had the same and she was fine but I didn't like the food that much either...so what do you do when it's bland? You turn to those ever trusty little jars of spices on your table that are available at every Asian establishment. IT WAS THEM. THE CONDIMENTS. Who knows how long or what was in those little dispensers of pain and SUFFERING sitting on the table, waiting, biding their time for their victim. Non-stop barfing for almost 2 days...the suffering was unimaginable. I didn't know myself after those 2 days.
(1)Jasmine H.
This place is great. I grew up in Hong Kong and this place is the closest to Cantonese food that I have found anywhere in northern Virginia. The dim sum menu is extensive and they also offer a lot of rare stuff like jellyfish, duck tongue, intestine, those sort of things. Their noodle dishes are also really good. Wonton mein is the best in the area. The beef tendon ho fun is also delish. Best in the area. Speaking of which, their tendon casserole is really good too. It comes out on a heated bowl and is sizzling when it is served. Can't rave enough about this place. Yes, sometimes service sucks when they are busy but they have the best intentions. Example: today I went to get some duck to go and asked for two whole roast ducks, chopped. Normally they will give me literally a whole duck chopped, with all the meaty parts AND all the boney parts. But this time they gave me 4 quarters of just meat. No head bones or useless pieces with no meat. I waited a little longer than usual too, so they gave me some tea while I waited and was very polite. Even after my food was ready they told me not to rush and to sit and enjoy my tea before I leave. Nice service.
(5)Katie H.
This place is under new management, the food serve cold and over cooked. So disappointed, cause it's used to be my favorite place to go for dimsum.
(1)Kimberly S.
This review is about Mark's Duck House's crispy suckling pig only. My folks live in Falls Church so they are frequently gallivanting all around Eden Center and surrounding shopping centers in search of quick, delicious food. One of their best finds is the roasted pork (or as my Filipino mom calls it "lechon") at Mark's Duck House. Mark's Duck House sells a superior pork product from other Chinese BBQ joints because it is not too salty or greasy, has a perfect fat to meat ratio, and the skin retains its crispy texture even a day after and re-heated! Pick a few pounds up the next time you are heading out to a potluck or family party for a definite crowd pleaser!
(5)Alida H.
You can usually find me here on Sunday during brunch/lunch hours with my family devouring their delicious dim sum appetizers. I've been to a handful of dim sum places in the DC metro area (fortune, lucky 7, china garden, etc.), and this trumps them all by far. Although it is a bit more expensive than its competitors, its worth every penny. The service could be improved, but the dim sum makes up for it, so that component doesn't even matter. I love their shrimp crepes, shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls and fried taro! Although it can get very busy, it is well worth both the wait and drive to falls church.
(4)Nana G.
I'll start out by saying that I came here on a birthday lunch for a friend, and one of the hosts basically controlled all the ordering and what not, so keep that in mind when reading my review. First of all, this place is CROWDED on sunday noontime, when we came. We got a reservation but there was a lot of people waiting around by the doors, and every table was full. Said tables in the center of the restaurant floor are incredibly close together and people trying to migrate around them and the dim sum carts coming around makes for a little bit of chaos. I found the chairs around one of the large round tables that I sat at to be far too close to ones at other tables. I was a fan of the rotating thing in the center, really helped us share our multiple dim sum dishes around. The decorations and look of this place are nothing special, very typical local Chinese restaurant. As far as the food itself, the host ordered a bunch of options for us (I did not see the menu or pay so I can't comment on prices). We had some sort of shrimp and lobster dumpling which was pretty good, I really liked the vegetable lo mien. We also had some sort of shrimp dumplings that I didn't like at all, they were very soggy and fell apart easily, the dumpling shell part had a sort of squishy feeling to them and I wasn't a fan of the taste at all. Again, like other people have said, the food wasn't hot as it was being toted around on the carts. I didn't get asked once the whole meal if I wanted a drink by a server, maybe this was just because of my host. We all got waters halfway through the meal. Like other have said, don't expect an attentive server constantly, there's just carts going around. It's loud inside and it was hard to communicate across the table and restaurant. I didn't find the place relaxing due to the loud nature and the people constantly moving around. I suspect the side booths are more comfortable. I had a nice time at my friends party, so I am probably letting this place off easy. It seemed like a popular place despite the Seven Corners Strip Mall location, judging by the crowdedness.
(2)Julie M.
No. I mean...no. I'd heard good things about the dim sum here, and I'm always happy to find a place with tasty dim sum, but this was not it. The har gau (shrimp dumplings) had a poor shrimp-to-filler ratio and the wrapper was way too thick and slightly undercooked -- proper har gau wrapping is just thin enough to comfortably hold everything together without overshadowing the filling. The jellyfish was underseasoned; it was so bland that I ate less than half and didn't bother to take the rest home (which I NEVER do! One of my most Asian traits is that I hate wasting food). The fried noodles with beef were even more tasteless than the jellyfish. It was clear that the only seasoning used was soy sauce, and I only knew that because the noodles were brown -- there certainly wasn't any soy flavor. And I haven't even gotten to the price yet! Look, I try not to write bad reviews unless the food or service was egregiously awful. But this is an overpriced restaurant resting on the laurels of good WaPo and Zagat reviews from years ago. It doesn't deserve its good reputation. Save your money -- most of their non-dim sum dishes are half the price and taste better at Miu Kee down the road. And the best har gau and xiu mai in Northern Virginia is in the back cafeteria of Great Wall, the Chinese supermarket in Merrifield. You're welcome.
(1)Bo J.
My husband and I have been regulars at this restaurant for about 12 years now. The food here is always so good. We leave every meal fully satisfied and stuffed. One of our favorite dishes is lobster or dungeness crab in a ginger scallion sauce or Cantonese style. Both are delicious. We also love their Peking duck, we think the best in the area (better than Peking Gourmet and Duck Chang's), the noodle soups (our favorite is the shrimp wonton noodle soup), fried shrimp with head on, fried Chilean sea bass, and fried soft shell crab. The pork chops are another favorite. Their vegetables are always great like pea shoot leaves and sugar snap peas in garlic sauce. When available, they also have a razor clam dish in black bean sauce which is delicious. There is also a server we have been going to for many years named May. She's wonderful and will take good care of you.
(4)Karlo S.
Come for THE DUCK Stay for THE DIMSUM Yes, it's a duck house. And they do the bird some justice here. It's juicy and very tasty. But I personally come here because it offers by far the best dim sum in the area. You get all the regulars like shumai and hargow but also get some of the favorites you don't always get everywhere like crab-claw shrimp balls and pork/taro dumplings. Weekend dimsum brunch can make you feel like you're in NYC Chinatown, but it's worth the wait every time. Dimsum starts at 10am, which is probably the best time to go. Anytime after 11am may cause you to wait anywhere from 15-45 minutes (depending on how big your party is). Most, if not your entire party should be there otherwise they won't seat you. Though the traditional dimsum on carts are only available during lunch time, you can order any dimsum item through their a-la-carte menu. For non-dimsum food, I've only ordered from the menu a couple of times but the food is tasty and the portions are good. Definitely one of my favorite spots to eat!
(5)Maricar V.
there are two reasons why we come here... one: the crispy skin chicken with crispy garlic (drool!!!) and two: the sweet tofu (yummy!!).... we order it every time, without fail! there are plenty of other dishes - their menu reads like a book... besides the crispy chicken, we ordered: crispy pork chop (well seasoned and good!), pork fried rice, steamed spare ribs, shumai, seafood pan fried noodles, and chinese watercress with shrimp paste (or kangkong and bagong to us filipinos!).... heres a tip -- for you to order good shumai and sweet tofu, get there early. they often run out of sweet tofu and they only make one batch! the best part of our meal was actually our server -- her name was linda and she was the best ever! totally surprised us with being so great, friendly, attentive, and just on point! we had a big group and i know how frustrating that can be... but not to linda, she took good care of us! i would definitely recommend marks duck house... be warned though, when you eat here, you come out of there smelling like chinese food, so leave your coat in the car and be prepared to wash your hair when you get home...but for the crispy chicken and sweet tofu its worth it!
(3)Le L.
My boyfriend and I decided to come to this place for their saturday dim sum. I was very surprise that the place wasn't busy and we didn't wait for more than 5 minutes. This is very unusual for a saturday afternoon. After we seated, the servers were nicely ask what we want to drink and eat. The tea was okay and some of the food weren't hot enough. I didn't like when my dim sum isn't hot, that was a negative sign why there were barely anyone there. Every time we eat, one of the server just keep coming back and reached his hand to my plate and pick up stuffs when I clearly didn't say I was done, he didn't even ask anything before he could take my plate. The visit was not very pleasant to me and I will least likely return to this place for dim sum.
(3)Michael D.
Good dim sum. I live in MD, and there are places in Rockville or Silver Spring which are as good or better. I won't be going back, but if you live nearby, then it may be a fine choice. A few caveats: It's not a huge restaurant, so at around 1pm on a Saturday, they were pretty full, but several of the dishes had circulated a few times, and were cold. Prices are reasonable, but they hustled us to buy some suckling pig, without disclosing the price. Virtually all dishes cost between $4-8, but the pig was $15 for 8 little strips of meat.
(4)Sasha C.
stayed around the area and looked for good dimsum. it was a tossup between this or pearl's seafood. we took a crap shoot and came here for sunday dimsum. got here early enough and didn't have to wait. the reviews are right in the sense that they do need some updating. but it was clean and service was quick. the min you sit down, the cart comes rolling by. we tried the fried salt n pepper shrimps (yum), spare ribs (yum but missing a bit of garlic), phoenix claws (yum but it was rather cold), shumai (just ok), ha gow (a bit on the mushy side.. oversteamed perhaps), crispy baby pig (so good but so pricey). everything was just a ok. nothing was SO good but it was decent enough to fulfill a craving while spending a weekend in DC. i do wish we tried the duck since they're called a duck house but we just couldn't fit it in our stomach.
(3)Alan Y.
Mark's is the epitome of solid dim sum at a reasonable price. Try all of their various steamed dumpling dishes and the beef tendon (or stomach), but don't forget to leave some room for one of their to-die-for egg custard tarts! -_-
(4)Meredith H.
Dependable place for above average dim sum. I've been here 4 times already, and have enjoyed all of the dishes I've eaten so far. Fried Taro, Bok Choy, and Radish Cake are definitely favorites at our table, as well as Pork Buns, Stuffed Eggplant, and Ginger Tofu (served at the end...if you can get it!). Service isn't bad, and I understand just how hard it can be to be attentive to all tables when the restaurant is packed and crowded. Although I enjoy coming when it's busy, as I can see what's on the carts as they're being wheeled around, I would suggest coming during a NON-peak hour (without the carts) after you have discovered what you like. The dishes on the carts can be hit or miss regarding temperature - stone cold Bok Choy isn't all that pleasant. However, if you come when it's dead, and order off the menu, all the food comes out hot and fresh. Also, be sure you save room (and ask for) the ginger tofu. SO DELICIOUS. I've also experienced the oddity of dishes being more expensive than listed on the menu - the next time I go, I'm going to confirm the prices on the menu with the waitress. A couple times, we've ended up paying more than what we would have if the prices on the menu were true. Again, this place is good for above average dim sum - with some tweaking and some precision, I think it could be even better!
(3)Weixuan F.
Good Cantonese restaurant in VA. I tried to order the wonton noodles with pork but they served the wonton noodles with duck. Anyway, it was very yummy. The baked duck on the top of the noodles soup had very crispy skin and tasty duck meat. Love it.
(4)Jen A.
I love this place! It's set the bar so high that I don't know if I could eat dim sum elsewhere. I recommend going early - the food is hotter, the options are more plentiful, and the egg custards are still available...yum! There's usually a wait and that's a good sign! Yes, the ambiance is drab but who cares because the food is fantastic!
(5)Rebecca S.
We went for dim sum a few weeks ago, and I could safely say that I wouldn't go back again. Approximately half the items served to us were cold, and they went and heated them back up in the microwave. If you do decide to go, make sure choose items that are with like items on the carts, instead of pulling something that's with a bunch of different items. They seem to just cart the cold rejects together over and over again.
(2)Ellie L.
Dim sum was mediocre. Some foods we picked were dry and cold. I had better dim sum that are cheaper.
(2)Amanda G.
My opinion on the food has not changed (STILL 5 STARS FOR THE DUCK!!!) but I had to write about this one incident a couple visits ago...people need to be aware of the outside of this place. This incident I am referring to happened towards the end of the summer, I came here with my boyfriend, his sister & her fiance. We were almost robbed/killed upon leaving. This is NOT an exaggeration. There were 2 hooded males lurking around the posts, and once they saw us females come out they immediately got behind us until they realized we had men with us and then they pulled back but hung out just feet away from us and watched intently while we got our jeep ready to go. The one closest to us was pretending to be talking on his cell phone but we could plainly see it was the main screen and that he was not on a call. His friend was lurking at the other end of the walkway watching us. The minute we climbed into the jeep they started coming toward us, and luckily my boyfriend believes in being armed at all times, so he turned around and showed him a peek of his gun belt and the two men immediately stopped and signaled to each other and ran away. I'm too scared to come back when it is not light outside anymore or without someone armed. This location is too bad, and I hope to god Marks can move somewhere a little less frightening so that I can enjoy the best duck I ever had without having to wonder if I might get killed when leaving.
(1)Jinna C.
I've only been here for the dim sum and never had a regular meal here. It's a hit or miss with this place. The wait is also sporadic. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes for a table, other times you dont wait. So the ambiance is just like any other Chinese place - bare bones tables, sauces, and vinyl seats. Once, my friend broke her plastic chopstick - I didn't even know that was possible. You have to be aggressive with the waiters and tell them what you want if you see something you want go by. The food on the carts sometimes are cold, and some weeks they lack variety. When its busy though, the food is hot and fresh. I especially enjoy the chicken egg rolls which have just chicken meat in them without any random fillers which is nice.
(3)Stephanie N.
The dim sum here is basic. Staff are not very attentive nor friendly. They will only come if you call them or on rare occasions that they come to refill your drink. One big thing is that while eating I saw a server KILL a COCKROACH and acted as if it was nothing! I was absolutely disgusted and I just don't feel safe eating their food. I will not be coming here again.
(1)Jessica N.
I love marks duck house! Their food is sooooo good & the price is reasonable and the owner is incredibly nice and the servers are nice too. If you havent tried their dim sum you're missing out big time.
(5)Michelle N.
This is one of my absolute favorite places for dim sum. Warning: come here as early as possible. This place will get crowded with long waits. Other than that, Mark's Duck House is a great place to order roast duck, chicken, or pig to go. They have them hanging up in the front and you can order them to be cut up to go. They also have a really extensive menu if you're dining here for dinner. Check out the peking duck - it's pricey but oh so delicious and crisp. Service is a bit spotty depending on who you get. The place is almost always full which is a good sign of how delicious their food is. The tables are very close so be careful not to scoot your chair back and hit another person.
(5)Wesley C.
Really good dim sum. My in-laws and brother-in-law's family live in the Chantilly area and we come here pretty much every time we visit them. It is consistently very good and consistently PACKED. You MUST GO EARLY. I have to say, I think they have some of the best baked bbq pork buns around. They're small, but the bread is good, and the filling is awesome. Plus, the glaze that they have on top of the bun is just like icing on top of a cupcake. It's unfortunately not the cheapest dim sum, but I guess when you're in Chantilly, you may have to expect that this ain't no chinatown. I look forward to coming back many more times in the future. And just a note, if you really like chicken feet, AKA, phoenix claw, they are REALLY GOOD here.
(4)Hunter Z.
Personal favorite. Authentic Cantonese restaurant comparable to Hong Kong Pearl. Must try their oyster - they are huge!!! Try both garlic and soybean sauce flavors.
(4)Ella C.
nice place fund to go
(5)Lhynette C. A.
We went here for the Dim sum on Sunday for lunch. The selection was meh, and the food wasn't THAT fresh. It is always a challenge for dim sum places to keep their food fresh while carting all over the restaurant. My favorite go to at dim sum is the chicken feet...and i must say, it wasn't bad, but I've definitely had better. I don't think i'd go back here..at least not for dim sum.
(2)Elaine A.
Terrible!!!!!!! Ordered salt and pepper squid to go....awful....mixed good squid with retried ones.....hard as a rock!!!!! Terrible....paid 14 bucks !!!!!'n never again!!!!! Aweful!!!!!!!!
(1)Juliet K.
been here a couple times. once for dim sum and once for dinner. dim sum: it is better than some places. but it is a bit greasy to just beware. i like this place better than fortune on rt 50 because i think it has better flavors, but i like hong kong seafood pearl restaurant better since it is less greasy. so just depends on how greasy you like your dim sum. dinner: ordered kingdom pork. its pretty good, but not the best that i've had. I thought the pork could have been crunchier, and the sauce was a little too sweet. overall, decent chinese food. it seems to be a very popular place so it gets busy. For dim sum, they made us share a table with others but i didnt really mind. its not the cleanest place, or the fanciest - but it definitely get the job done for whatever chinese options you might be craving.
(3)Michael K.
I've had Hong Kong and then I was introduced to Mark duck...the dim sum comes out fresh, the cart doesn't take forever and a day to get to you and the servers are always on point. The chicken feet have a great flavor and just the right amount of spice. Couldn't be happier, me and my girlfriend go here every Saturday and we have not been disappointed...yet. Black bean clams are excellent as well.
(4)Tiger C.
The place is like any other smaller Asian restaurant, it definitely cannot be labeled clean but I would not call it dirty either. It definitely has traditional Chinese dishes, and the waiters are funny enough to be on Broadway as extras with one-liners. With those comments aside, the food was real decent. Not amazing but not bad at all. Potstickers were fried up a bit more than I usually have at Chinese restaurants, but the filling was good. The Peking duck was really not bad at all. Peking Gourmet is more traditional with the smaller wraps and the thinner cut onions though. Only thing that I did not really like about the duck was the tortilla was big enough that it seemed to come straight from the Mission tortilla bag that you buy at your local Safeway. Snow pea vegetable that looked like spinach was great. Finally, beef chow fun was decent, surprisingly it was not as salty or oily as other restaurants, but probably what led to its bland flavor.
(3)Kate O.
I like that they open at 10:00am on Sunday. This gives us enough time between getting up, getting ready, and get there before it gets very busy. This also ensures that the food we get off the dim sum carts are fresh and piping hot. We never had a bad meal here. If you want something and it is not in one of the carts, they will make it for you.
(4)Mary D.
Not sure what happened to this place, but all the hot food we ordered was cold and prices went up significantly. Two of us used to spend about $30 here, and today we spent $50 for a smaller amount of food than we usually get. Will not be coming back here anytime soon.
(2)Lindagrace D.
We had my three-year-old's birthday party here because we all LOOOVVVE dim sum (we made reservations 2 weeks in advance)!! We had two large tables of ten, side-by-side. What's nice about dim sum dining in a big group is that everyone is able to select little plates that please them. There is something for everyone! There were even vegetarians in our party that enjoyed the vegetable dumplings (steamed and fried), noodles, and sauteed bok choy. The quality of dim sum here is excellent, and my top picks include: shumai, shrimp dumplings, crab balls, and of course, duck!! We hosted the party, and for 20 heads, the bill was around $340. Not bad, not bad at all for a bunch of happy, smiling, full people. P.S. - This place gets PACKED like a hot nightclub. You will always see a herd of folks clumped up outside the entrance doors, waiting to be seated, so come early!
(5)Alexis S.
this review is for the shrimp dumplings. there's pretty much nothing else to say except that they are my crack. i love them! i order way too much of it when i go - and they know when i come in that's what i want! :) haha
(4)Kat M.
Would I go back? Only when I'm really really really craving dim sum. Which may be every few months. I'm from the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, so I'm spoiled when it comes to good and cheap Asian food. I know it's not fair to compare. But Mark's Duck House isn't too shabby. Staff is pretty nice, and the price is right. Major downside is that several of the dishes were served cold...when they weren't supposed to be. But I'm all about getting served food as soon as I sit down. Perhaps the best choice for dim sum in the DMV area...but it won't warrant a 4 or 5 stars for me. Don't expect anything fancy.
(3)Ajit D.
The food is mostly alright and the service is fast. This is probably the place you want to go to if you like traditional dim sum and know what you're doing in a legit Chinese restaurant. However, I didn't particularly like the service and I prefer fusion style (non traditional) dim sum like Ping Pong. When the lady with the cart rolled around, I asked how much a plate of oysters were. They looked good, but expensive. She said $7, so I thought I'd try them at that price. They were terrible. I really couldn't eat them. When the bill rolled around, it turned out they were $7 each, so $21 for the plate. The price made sense, but it wasn't clear at all. The woman either didn't understand my question or lied about the price. I definitely didn't hear her ask how many I wanted. I mentioned this to the guy who brought the bill and he very much didn't give a shit. So, it turned out to be a pretty expensive meal for something that gave me a terrible stomach ache for hours. Overall, most of the food was alright, but not piping hot (it was noon on Saturday, so I expect piping hot). Stick to what you know when you're ordering and you should be alright. Will I go back? Yes - but only because my Chinese friends and my mom like it.
(2)Elizabeth B.
I've been coming here for 20 years. In the last five years, they fixed the place up. Great! Then, they jacked up their prices. Like, double what they used to be. Not great. Now, there's a loud noise from the heating system that makes me lose my appetite. Time to find a new favorite Chinese restaurant!
(1)Mike N.
The Dim Sum here is not as good as other places. They should have a health inspector come in and check up on their restaurant. My girlfriend and I were eating here once and she saw the server pick up a cockroach and kill it with his hands. Ew, wtf...?
(2)Maria B.
Mark's Duck House has great Peking duck, as the name suggests but I go for the dim sum. I've only been at lunch time so I'm not sure if they do the carts at night. There's nothing fancy or trendy about Mark's dim sum, which is how dim sum should be. Everything I've ever eaten here is solidly good and the prices are fantastic. Great selection and they come around often so you can keep ordering and ordering.
(4)Jenny E.
I am a huge fan of Mark's Duck House. In my opinion, as good as it gets when it comes to chinese food. I love their peking duck, and its the only place in the DC area that I will get egg drop soup cause their soup is velvety and delicious, not like the gloppy gelatious egg drop soup they serve at many chinese restaurants in the area. It can be a tad pricey but in my opinion it's totally worth it.
(5)Mychelle H.
I've been going here since I was a child. I absolutely love coming on Saturdays for the dim sum. It's a small place, but there's a variety of items during the dim sum hours. The wait isn't usually too long surprisingly.
(4)Danny N.
Mark's Duck House is tucked in a strip mall at Seven Corners, an authentic Cantonese restaurant with BBQ and roast meat hanging by the window, and fish and lobster in the tank. I have been here for dinner for many years because I love their fresh and delicious food. A group of us went there for Lunar New Year dinner. When we got there at 6:30pm, the place was mostly empty. By 8pm, the place was fully seated, filled with energy, with additional people waiting for tables. We ordered from the Group Menu (6), family style. We had the BBQ special (roast duck and BBQ pork/char siu), crispy skin chicken, steam tilapia with ginger&scallion (fresh from the tank - it was very good), lobster with ginger&scallion (perennial fave), seafood combination, chinese broccoli, combo fried rice, and seafood tofu soup. Everything was very good except the BBQ pork. While we have ordered from the extensive menu prior, I highly recommend their Group Menu if you have 5 or more in your group. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, and the service was great! The younger owner was walking around, greeting customers and checking on the food/service. As it was the first day of Lunar New Year, he was also handing out red packets (filled with money) to the younger customers... Nice touch, indeed! 1/31/2014
(4)Virginia C.
People rave about this place but both the food and service are mediocre.
(2)Elizabeth S.
I love the dim sum here. We usually come here about twice a month on Saturdays. We get here around 10-11am because after that it gets uber busy and you would have to wait for a while. I love the smell of duck that comes to your nose right after you walk in. The service is excellent. I seem to notice that they place servers in certain parts of the floor and they only concentrate on serving those tables. They are very fast at removing your plates and they come by pretty fast with the dim sum. The price is reasonable but not as good as SF or Portland. I can't believe a broccoli dish cost 5 dollars though.... The food seems to never be old because they get so many customers that they always refill. Overall i love this place.
(4)Tom T.
Dim sum was our goal Sunday and were headed to another location when a buddy texted to pull over and turn around to try Mark's Duck House. The NAME didn't convey Dim Sum but pulled the trigger. The wait wasn't bad as we were near the end of the rush and was surprised by the popularity of the place: packed. Now the discovery phase: what's so good about these people's experience here with Dim Sum? Cart 1 - loaded up with my usual go to dishes and watched where they marked the price on my ticket... Over all the food was ok, staff service not bad and funny. They were attentive and happy all around and even busted on the veteran waiter who dropped a stack of clean dishes. He was busting up laughing about it too as he was razzed by his co-workers, so I saw it was a good place to work for them. Would I go there again soon, perhaps in a year. Nice discovery, average dim sum, good service.
(3)Jennifer M.
Came here on a Sunday for brunch and saw that this place was definitely popular. We haven't been here for years and thought it was time to give it a try again with all the good reviews. We were seated after about 35 minutes. Prices are ok (only slightly higher) for the area at about $3.50 per dim sum plate. Food is good and the flavors are right. I'm Cantonese and I know/love my dim sum. They don't have much in terms of variety though. However not everything they roll around is kept covered/heated. I also overheard a manager go tell a server to take dishes back to the kitchen for a cook to reheat... so I don't know how long some dishes have been around for the day... very iffy... In the end, a decent place but price, portion, and variety aren't good enough.
(3)Fouad A.
First of all, their hot and sour soup is some of the very best I've ever tasted. 10 out of 10. (You get a large bowl that serves 2.) But they fall short in some other areas. The most important is the concept of Chinese sauces. Sauces are the heart of Chinese cooking, yet inexplicably they gave us zero to almost none, with our entrees. Also as a Chinese restaurant they don't list Szechuan Chicken, which is my favourite Chinese dish. Their spring rolls are filled with some kind of grey meat, probably pork, and come with inappropriate sauces. Mark's specialises in seafood and duck, so why not fill the spring rolls with seafood (shrimp, for example) or duck? They are in a neighborhood with many Vietnamese, so much so that their English menu has Vietnamese as a second language. Why not serve Vietnamese spring rolls? If they stick with grey meat, how about an appropriate sauce such as A1 sauce? Another suggestion to them is that they serve chicken dishes with white meat rather than dark meat, because most people prefer it. Bottom line so far: The H&S soup is great. I wish we had tried seafood or duck, and I'm sorry we tried the spring rolls.
(3)Yaima R.
Solidly good dim sum at reasonable prices. I especially liked their roasted duck, very tasty.
(4)Chris D.
Twenty years ago, my screen name on Prodigy was DimSum. Why? Well, I spent a lot of time at a Chinese friend's house growing up and when creating our aliases, we thought it would be awesome if they were complementary. We also loved food, especially Chinese food. In fact, we ate way too much food. So, after about as much deliberation as overweight pre-teens can muster, we decided on Eggroll for him and DimSum for me. We thought we were clever and were destined to be deemed kings of our ANSI-based text world. At the very least, the ladies would be impressed... wouldn't they? Well, that angle didn't quite pan out but at least the story serves an appropriate (?) context of my love of dim sum two decades later. A love, that as best as I can tell, is the only reason I would wait 50 minutes for a table. I can't remember the last time I waited more than 15 minutes anywhere, but for whatever reason, I was happy to get pushed around a crowded entryway while waiting for our number to be called. Overall, the quality of the product is some of the better in the area. Turnover is high so dishes are usually hot, fresh and delicious. Some items are better than others, but personal taste tends to play a large roll in your preference. Things I can't wait to have again include the fantastic Peking Duck skin, shark fin dumplings and steamed oysters as big as my fist. The sad part of the whole experience, or any dim sum experience really, is that it's over before you even realize it started. I wanted to go back 6 hours later and do it all over again in hopes of extending the enjoyment. I'm not sure I'd wait 50 minutes for a table twice in one day, but who knows... I make poor decisions when they wheel those carts past me every few minutes. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Eggroll and I are not only still friends; he's the one who recommended Mark's to me. That's how we roll. (Horrible pun intended.)
(4)Ariel H.
Having tried essentially all dim sum places in the DC/MD/VA area, we remain a dim sum regular at Mark's Duck House. The dim sum really is better than what you can get at the other dim sum places nearby (i.e. HK Pearl Seafood restaurant, Fortune at least). Also love their variety of steam dumplings. In addition to the typical ha-gaw (shrimp dumpling), they have chive and shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling, golden mushroom dumpling... etc. Prices are reasonable and service is fast/solid. They get very busy during weekend lunch time, so make sure to come early. I've also been here for normal meals and typically enjoy their yee-mien? (noodles) and stuffed three treasures. They have a standard "cantonese" style menu. Unfortunately, 1 star off for the ambience / cleanliness.
(4)Grace K.
The side dishes were delicious! As for the duck- I can't say the same. To be fair, it was my first time trying duck but it was a bit too slimy for my liking.
(3)Ron H.
I was psyched about trying the Dim Sum here, I had recommendations from friends and co-workers, and the reviews on Yelp seemed to indicate this as one of the best in Northern Virginia. Read the warnings about a big crowd so packed the family early and we got to the place at 10:30AM. Well, ok maybe I'm just not a Dim Sum guy, I don't know - but I was really unexcited about most of the selections I ordered except the crispy pork. And the prices were just ridiculous for the amount of food we got. Granted, we got many dishes (I wanted to try everything) but in the end we only had enough left-overs for one carry-out container. Here's the deal, we ordered 2 ice teas, 2 bowls of white rice, a noodle plate, crispy pork, egg rolls, pork buns, shrimp dumplings, beef with flat noodles, warm tofu and sesame rolls and bill came out to $60 + $10 tip = $70. That's kind of steep in my book with only one box left over to take home. The ambviance, although athentic with it's hanging pigs and ducks in the window. is kind of seedy and run-down. The seating is very cramped and you have to maneuver around the carts and between occupied chairs in order to get to the bathrooms. Meh. I might try the Dim Sum experience again somewhere else before I totally write it off as something I'm not a fan of, but I doubt I'll ever be returning here.
(3)Diana D.
Stopped in this place based on reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. Food was good and fresh. As others have stated if it's not on menu just ask and they will bring it. If your looking for atmosphere, wrong place, if you want good authentic Dim Sum this is your place!
(4)Leslie J.
This is THE ULTIMATE PLACE in the NOVA area to get dim sum. Must-get: Everything that rolls by you on a cart? Just kidding. Must-orders: - TARO PUFFS and lots of 'em! they are THE BEST around, and to be honest, I think MD makes 'em the best. - Stuffed Crab Claw w/ Shrimp - the sweet OR steamed pork buns - the spare-ribs - shumai - har gow - shrimp rice crepes
(5)Audrey Z.
The place was dirty and the food was GROSS!!! The server was really nice. So not worth the time and money!!!
(1)Jane C.
Heard the owner changed, decided to give them another try. It was a good decision - Very good dim sum! Got there Sunday around noon, had to get a number to sit down. Chrysanthemum tea was piping hot, and came with rock sugar. Everything we ordered was tasty, fresh, and yum yum. Especially the roasted baby pig~ Loved it :D
(4)Jim H.
My goto dim sum place. If you're into authentic chinese food this is the place to go. If your into American Chinese food like general tso chicken try your local chinese resturant.
(5)Myan T.
Every time I'm in NOVA I make sure that I somehow squeeze in a visit to Mark's Duck House and considering that I've been back about 5 times in the past year, I'm a fan of the place. Had it not been for an unusually upsetting occurrence this past weekend, this review would probably be about 4 stars. My boyfriend and I had dim sum with his father & cousin on Sunday and while we got quite a few dishes, we didn't get anything that was over the top. You can imagine our surprise/horror when the $80 bill came back. We asked the waitress what items were $14.95 and $17.95, she almost smugly told us that it was the dish of 5 slices of roast pork and the little dish of about 4 regular-size shrimp. Additionally, the fried crab/shrimp balls were $8 for a plate of 2 and the small bowl of spare ribs was about $11. Are you freaking kidding me? I am a lover of dim sum and have eaten it all over the US and all over the world and never in my life have I EVER paid more than about $8 for a dim sum dish. The night before, the four of us had appetizers, entres, and a bottle of wine at a restaurant in Dupont and the bill was $100! Ridiculous. NEVER AGAIN. The food is pretty good but my last experience really put me off the place. Not only did we walk away feeling like we'd been ripped off, the process of paying at this restaurant makes you feel like a criminal. Because we asked the waitress to clarify the bill, when my boyfriend tried to go find his father, he waitress snapped at both of us to "sit down." I'm used to be treated like a silly overly-Westernized Asian woman, but I do NOT appreciate being treated like a thief. ...Nevertheless, I am a sucker for a good bowl of Asian ramen so I will probably be back to Mark's Duck House because they have a great selection of ramen bowls for reasonable prices ($8-$10) LOL try to avoid this place for dim sum but if you dare to venture there, make sure you ask for prices as you go along!
(3)Jim W.
We go here for dim sum. Usually, early so we can get the hot dim sum. On Saturday, April 26, we went after tennis. It was okay.
(4)Mason B.
Ok. I don't write a ton of reviews and I've really been trying to bite my tongue but I just thought it best to do this. My wife and I were there last Sunday for their Dim Sum. The food was average and we were disappointed at even the duck. I love the idea of Dim Sum but even that turned out bad. So my wife wanted some fried rice and saw it on one of the carts. So she told the guy that when it came around she wanted to get some. He mistakenly or not went to the kitchen and got her a plate of pork fried rice; a huge one to boot. Not only was the place gross and just insanely dirty, but their comprehension of English was nonexistent. To make matters worse, I got a couple things of dumplings. I wanted to know if they had ponzu sauce and got no reply for the guy who was carting it around. I blew it off, no big deal. So we are paying our check and he comes over to a table full of folks and breaks out the ponzu sauce. I was hot = not very happy. I thought their treatment of us, neither one of us are Asian, was absurd. We won't be going back, but I hope you have a better experience than us if you try it out. Just make sure not to try the restrooms out.
(1)Cyndy K.
9/15/12 Dim Sum @Mark's Duck House is sensational! We consider Mark's our favorite place for dim sum. We love the deep fried taro dumplings and consider it the best we've ever had. The taro dumpling is fried perfectly - a nice delicate crunch on the outside and the tasty taro on the inside. It is well done. The har gau streamed shrimp dumplings are great, the pan fried chive dumpling, shu mai, seafood & golden mushroom dumpling. Also love the steamed pork buns. Reminds me of the manapua from Hawaii. The steamed buns are done very well with a light sweet soft bun stuffed with great flavored pork. Mark's is known for the crispy roast pork - if you love pork you will have to order it! Crispy skin on the outside with nice decadent pork - very yummy! Recommend getting there by 11:30am or you will be with the masses and the chaos and getting hungry by the minute. Service is good and quick.
(4)Stephanie T.
The dim sum is mediocre and the prices seem to always be changing. The cashier said prices have changed but still no new menu to reflect new price.
(2)Richard C.
Went here for the first time. Delicious food...I love having carts full of food wheel by me so that I can pick from dim sum to spare ribs. You must get there early as the place gets packed! Service is not awesome but it's still decent. They fill your drinks up pretty quickly and try to be as attentive as possible eventhough it was hectic.
(4)Chow N.
What better on a cold, windy night after a baseball game but a few bowls of dumpling noodle soup, brisket noodle soup, roast duck, and 6 large steamed oysters with black bean sauce and scallions ($29)? The latter goes great with rice. Pass the chili oil and soy sauce please.
(4)Nina B.
Oh man, I really wanted to like this place. I was craving Dim Sum like no one's business, and I thought this would satisfy me. But, it was quite the opposite. First of all, they don't provide you with a dim sum menu unless you ask for it. We went on a Wednesday night. Secondly, there are no carts going around offering me the experience I was so desperately hoping for. When I did get my 4-5 plates of food, I was disappointed with the flavor. The steamed dumplings were rather dry, and everything else just lacked taste. I don't think I should have to douse my food in soy sauce to make it edible. Finally, when I got home, the food was causing my digestive system to grumble alot. It was a very uncomfortable night, where I was constantly telling my stomach to shut up. I've never felt so close to being an abusive boyfriend. Is there any really good dim sum in NoVa?
(2)Meg G.
*This is a solid 3.5 stars* I'm no dim sum expert; but I do know food, so I am ready to review the many mini-dishes at Mark's Duck House. Taro cakes!!! Yum! I liked most of the dumplings. The stuffed crabs were pretty nice! I should've skipped the first round of pork they brought around for the ribs. Sauteed bok choy was pretty good, and I guess the veggie dumplings could be considered a healthy choice. I skipped the mussels, but will definitely try on another visit. I didn't try any noodles, or breads. I guess I was too hungry and eager, initially, to wait until the other carts came around. I ordered duck to go, but forgot to specify Peking duck - womp, womp :(.... Anyway, service is fast and friendly. The prices are just okay. I could eat all of the taro dishes 24/7. It's worth a trip to try. *Sunday brunch (10:00) turned out not to be as crowded as I feared*
(3)Phuong N.
This place opens at 10am..unlike fortune dimsum, food isn't ready until 20-30 mins after. Our server is an old, slow, and rude man. The kitchen staff that serves the food is rude as well. Not a single smile. Not too impressed. Won't be back.
(2)Jon H.
I've had some great and some so-so experiences at Mark's. Walk in on a Saturday around noon? No wait, carts are in-your-face, but some of the good things (like turnip cake) are slow to replenish and you end up seeing the same carts over and over again. Sunday around noon? A party of four might wait 30 mins or longer, but the carts are picked clean and you better frenzy when a good one gets to you. Other than that, Mark's isn't too bad. The price is a bit high (two people, not overdoing it just ordering dim sum), can get to like $30. Service isn't too bad (the runners are really fast and clean off tables quickly, but the carts can be spotty and ladies a bit pushy). The food is decent, you got your regular ha gow, shu mai, egg custard pastries, clams, pork spareribs, chicken feet.....the peking duck is actually pretty solid with crispy skins and served traditional style (steamed buns, scallions, sauce). Overall, just a so-so place. Won't blow your socks off, but we all know dim sum in Virginia is either hit or miss or just really too expensive. Mark's puts itself right in the middle.
(4)Dmitry D.
This place is way over priced. For food that is nothing to rave about. It wasn't bad but I have had better. I would have gave it a three but they felt the need to approach one of the people that I was their with and asked him for a bigger tip. Listen people at marks duck house you are not owed the standard 15 percent it is up to the person giving it to you. And in this case he didn't think your service was worth it.
(2)Nick H.
Short and simple. Mark's Duck House serves some of the best dimsum in Northern Virginia. As far as quality goes, it's incomparable. So why only 4 stars? It's too popular and too small for that level of popularity. Every time I go with friends, if I've got a group larger than 2, it's generally a 30-60 minute wait. The restaurant feels cramp and making your way around the close tables can be a hassle. Is it worth it for the food? Absolutely. But given that Fortune is across the street, my friends and I will go to Fortune 90% of the time simply because it's more suitable for larger groups and because the wait is generally less. But if you like dimsum at all, you can't really go wrong with either locale. And if you've never been to MDH, then I definitely recommend it.
(4)Ginger H.
Was starving one night and stopped in. Had to back track to work and brought my husband the other night... simply put FANTASTIC. The service is wonderful and on the simple side... their Shrimp Fried Rice is PERFECT. I tried a seafood dish, chow fun, egg plant dish, duck, several dim sum and all were delicious. I can't wait to return for brunch to just do dim sum!!! Will be a favorite to return to over and over....Just wish it was closer to my house.
(4)Michael J.
Very good food and excellent service. Again, your typical Hong Kong fare with all the right touches. You can even get dim sum off of their menu in the evening. My friend and I came here for a quickie birthday meal at 10PM on a Thursday night. Below is a short summary of our meal: Crispy skinned roast pork - Top notch. Not very fat nor very dry. Just the right amount of flavor and juice. To get this kind of BBQ outside of Hong Kong is rare and not all restaurants can pull this off. Tender chicken with mushroom clay pot (came out in a steel pot) - The chicken was indeed very tender and the mushroom flavorful. This is a dish that's hard to mess up in terms of presentation but getting the right flavor is difficult. Again, handled very well. (Dim Sum dishes) Shiumai, Shrimp dumpling, Beef meatball - The flavor in the dim sum was very well done and layered. More importantly, they tasted fresh and hot, as if just came out of the steamer. The only blemish is that the shrimp dumpling's skin was very brittle. It falls apart easily upon contact. That's usually not very good. Anyway, not a big deal, but just saying. Mango pudding - this is by far the BEST mango pudding I've had outside of Hong Kong. They had fresh, cubed mangos inside the pudding. The flavor was just right, striking a fine balance between sweet and tangy. You can tell they used fresh ingredients as opposed to processed mango flavoring. I will definitely get it again when I go back. My only complaint is the place is VERY FAR from metro and hard to access by bus. Basically, you can only get their by car. If not, I'll be going back every week. Highly recommend for those who love Cantonese food!!
(5)Jessica H.
DIM SUM REVIEW. This is the only place in NoVa that I'm willing to go for dim sum. You MUST arrive by 11am, 11:30 at the latest. Otherwise you will be crammed into the tiny space at the front with all those other people for a very long time, waiting for a table. You put your name on a list, they give you a paper slip with a number on it, and then you wait. And wait. I'm used to New Fortune in Gaithersburg, which is approximately 100 times the size of Mark's Duck House. (Give or take.) But this place still has carts, and has most of the same food I'm used to. Sticky rice in banana leaves! Stir-fried string beans! Dumplings of various kinds! Chow fun! You might have to ask a couple times if there's some normal dim sum food that you want that you don't see, because they probably have some made and just didn't bring it by your table yet.
(4)James L.
Had dim sum in several places in the US, namely San Jose, Philly, Orlando, Austin, etc....This is our second shot here at Northern Virginia. Our first experience after moving here being Hong Kong Pearl, which was actually above average despite the long waiting line. Food here deserves some compliments in their roasted BBQ and chicken feet. However, their dim sum dishes were simply mediocre. The tofu wrapped roll was not greasy (which is good) but had very plain taste in them, stuffed with mostly pork (a proper tofu wrapped roll should include bamboo shoots, water chestnut, and sometimes some fungus). They simply don't serve good dim sum. Above Pars: 1. Service - Service was fast and friendly, even though we were seated at the corner, the food carts kept coming without long waits. This is always a plus for dim sum restaurants. 2. Roast Pork - Good HK style roast dishes. I bet their roast duck is good. 3. Chicken feet - Their chicken feet were pretty good. Might not have the best flavor, but they do cook them thoroughly. Sub-Pars: 1. Pan fried leek buns - $3.50 for 3 leek buns? This is the most expensive leek buns I've ever eaten, and it's not even good at all.....Too little leek in it, and they were not brought out on a pan fried cart which keeps the heat in it. 2. Transparency of their pricing - $14.95 for a small dish of baby roasted pork? And you've read about the pan fried leek buns mentioned above......I don't like to go around eating dim sum and ask for the price of each dish, and I believe most people don't like that as well! I ended up eating three $3.50 dishes and a dish of baby roasted pork, paid more than $30 for two people........Out of all the places, I've never paid more than $22 for two people servings......You'll just have to give it a try to understand what I'm talking about...
(1)Sridhar S.
At last search for a good Chinese restaurant in the NoVA is over. The food keeps coming in carts, you can pick and choose what you want. Went for variety of dim sums, bbq ribs, spicy chicken noodles and finished off with their special tea. Service was fast and friendly. Must for any Chinese food lover. Hunt continues for a good Chinese buffet.
(4)Jenny S.
This review is only for their dim sum since that is the only time I ever come. I've been to Mark's Duck House at least a dozen times just for dim sum. This is my go-to place since heading to Maryland is too much of a trek for me. The dim sum here is great- the shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls, fried taro, steamed dumplings, shrimp crepes and pork buns. Of course, every now and then you will find yourself eating a luke-warm place since the food has been sitting on the carts longer, but that is to be expected. Service is fine, nothing worth noting. I never have had an issue asking for the bill or a fork or my water refilled. Sometimes, service may be slower since this place is always pretty crowded on the weekends during dim sum hours. Even though it's packed, the line moves along fairly quickly. I don't think I've ever waited more than 30 minutes to be seated. With consistent food over the years I've been here, Mark's is definitely my go-to dim sum restaurant. There is a reason why this place is still around after so many years (and so packed), the consistent food hasn't changed much and people can rely on that. Just writing this review makes me want to eat there now!
(4)Elina Y.
First visit was mediocre. Service was alright, nothing to scream about but not lacking. The shrimp in lobster sauce was alright as well, nothing out of the ordinary. Second visit was on Christmas Day for dim sum around 11am. CRAZY MISTAKE! We waited 45mins and the house was PACKED! My Chinese friend totally recommended this place for dim sum since I am not a native. Was I satisfied? Well... -Chicken feet: Ridiculously salty. -Dumplings: Almost cold. I asked for warm dumplings and the guy just reheated mine. How did I know? I took a small bite of one of the dumpling and they came right back to me. I was expecting a new plate of them. =/ Perhaps they were not up to par with their food because it was so crowded? I hope so....willing to give their dim sum another try on a non-holiday day since they come highly recommended. P.S. Their seating arrangements are very congested.
(3)Rose N.
My go to for dim sum Sundays! The wait is always ridonkulous, but its the only decent dim sum place I know of in NOVA. Hot, fresh dim sum for sure. This place is always packed on Sunday. Sitting on the left side of the restaurant puts you at a disadvantage because once the carts stroll down to all the hungry restaurant goers on the right, all the good dim sum choices disappear quickly, esp the shumai (my favvvvv). We were really craving fried chicken too so we order their half crispy fried chicken (definitely not what we were expecting), it was ehh. I think I'll just stick to the dim sum.
(4)Minwoo J.
Honestly I understand others comment during lunch time. I have been to lunch for dimsum which was a-okay, since I live in MD I went to better place for dimsum. However! I love this place for pecking duck. I mean I had pecking duck from Pecking Gourmet Inn but when I found this place I stop going to PGI. Name of the restaurant is Mark's Duck House. Have a duck!
(5)Tan T.
Love this place! Food is good for the money.
(4)Lan T.
I don't get out to Falls Church often, so when I do, I try to get my Asian fill. For my most reason trip I decided to check out Mark's Duck House. First of all, it too me FOREVER to find this place. I drove around several times until I found the place. Its in a strip mall called Willston or something that has a CVS and TD Ameritrade and next to some tequila bar or something. Anyway, on to the food! I ordered carry out. The guy taking my order was really nice and helpful. I ordered combination pan fried noodles, meat dumplings, shrimp dumplings, shumai, and chive and shrimp dumplings. The noodles were good, just what I expected. It had a combination of scallops, fish balls, beef, chicken, and other stuff in it. Although it seemed like there was only one or two of each thing in there. I think my favorite dumping was the chive and shrimp. The other shrimp dumpling and shumai were good as well. I guess the only dish I didn't really care for was the dumplings. I thought they would be the dumplings with the soup in them, but these looked and tasted like steamed pot stickers. The wrapper tasted fresh like they made it in house or just wrapped it recently, but I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. Anyway, I'd go back to Marks for dim sum. I ordered take out around 6pm, so their dim sum selection was a bit limited. Ok, so for the weird parking lot experience. I sat in my car to wait for my food. I was playing games on my phone, and I noticed from the corner of my eye, some guy that was just hanging out behind my car. He started wandering around my car, then wandering around the car next to mine, looking in the cars to see what was inside. Anyway, that freaked me out, so I moved my car to around the corner. Even after the weird parking lot guy and having to drive around a few times until I found the place, I'd go back to Mark's to try the other dim sum options. OINK!
(3)Matthew M.
Today I had Dim Sum and it was delicious, The roast baby pig was crispy and moist, and BBQ Ribs are amazing!!!..My friend had the roast duck and said it was juicy and crispy as well. I can not wait to go back next week
(5)Chris G.
Everything at marks duck is awesome. Basically. The general Tso's is sooooooo good. The bean curd is awesome. My mom gets a lot of their fish dishes, and they are really, really good as well. The service is super friendly and if you go frequently they will remember you. Just a great place for chinese, I go every time I'm in town.
(5)Jenny T.
Best authentic Hong Kong style dim sum I've found thus far in DC area and pretty great dinner selection as well. I definitely frequent this place. Food is fresh and delicious! Special dim sum menu on weekends. Opens at 10am, but there is usually a crowd waiting, so arrive fairly early if you don't want to wait. The later you are, the more likely you'll need to wait ~30 minutes. There isn't a large area to wait, and everyone gets little cutout numbers...it's a crazy system, but it works! Staff is pretty helpful, but it gets pretty hectic during the special dim sum hours. All other hours, I have no problem with getting attention. For those of you who aren't familiar, they have ducks hanging in the front window! Get the Peking Duck if you've had it; you won't be disappointed. (It's pretty much like...duck burritos, except the sauce is absolutely amazing and almost MAKES the dish)
(5)Kat B.
4.5 stars rounded to 5. I've been here twice so far with the family. I used to think Peking Gourmet had the best duck but I've changed my mind! It's definitely Mark's Duck House...their duck is glazed with a really delicious sauce that reminds me of Chinese red roast pork (Char Siu). Contrary to Vivian C. I actually prefer their thin style of pancake over the regular style. The steamed ones can get soggy pretty quickly...either on the table or if you get take out in whatever bag they put it in. Even better than the duck though are their GARGANTUAN OYSTERS. Supposedly they aren't on the menu so it might be a good idea to call ahead and see if they have them. The oysters are lightly steamed and served with a really light but also extremely flavorful ginger scallion soy sauce. You can also order them fried (mother-in-law said was delicious) or with a black bean sauce which I haven't tried yet. I also really liked their snow pea shoots and seafood fried rice. The fried rice was packed with scallops, shrimp, crab, and salted fish and the rice wasn't too greasy. it was some of the best fried rice I've had in this country. I only have a couple things I can nitpick about: 1) their fresh fish was overcooked and a bit tough but the sauce was really good and 2) the sauce for their eggplant dish is a bit too sweet/sour for my liking and the skin is a little tough. It reminds me too much of hot and sour soup/fake Chinese takeout. They would be better off using smaller/younger Thai or Chinese eggplant. Their service is really efficient and friendly, even when the restaurant is totally packed. Plus at the end of the meal they gave us some duck carcasses upon request to take home so my mother-in-law could make some stock. The decor and ambiance could be a little better but honestly the foods so good that you have tunnel vision during the meal and only notice when you leave/enter! I don't feel as claustrophobic here compared to Peking Gourmet when they are equally packed. I'm looking forward to the next time I come here...and the mutant oyster!
(5)Win C.
First time in VA, we went to visit a friend's brother and we decided to have dim sum before we leave. He recommended this place and I loved it. I wasn't expecting much from this place because I thought it was going to be very Americanized based dim sum, but they did keep it traditional. The flavors were packed I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(4)John D.
The staff are clueless. One guy kept bumping into me every time he refilled our waters, and didn't even acknowledge it. I swear that I was going to eventually lose it. Then we ask for some custard buns, which we saw on the cart. They come by with some egg custard. No, custard buns. They have to grab someone else, and they "educate us" that they don't have custard buns, only pineapple buns. So we take those, cut one open, and we see that it's pineapple custard. OK man, whatever. The last thing that really grossed me out was when the servers refilled our waters each times, they put their hands on the rim of the glass. Pick up a glass and put your entire hand around the rim. Would you want to drink out of a glass where the person's hand is mixing everyone else's saliva with yours? No thanks. I stopped drinking water after seeing this multiple times. I can only imagine what might be happening in the kitchen where you can't see.
(2)Nick A.
I don't know who Mark is, but he nailed it with his fowl house. A crap-load of food for not a whole lot of money - that was my take away. While this is normally the case with a lot of Chinese food places, the difference here was that it was actually really good. The menu is huge - with tons of choices. Lots of these look really good, and everything that we tried was excellent. Somethings, I'm not so sure about, but still really wanted to try - if you have had the Duck Tongue, please get in touch with me, because I am dying to know a) if it tastes good, and b) if the plate looks as hilarious as it does in my imagination (a bunch of triangular little duck tongues arranged in a rosette.) Duck-wise, do yourself a favor and get the duck; it's excellent, and a little less pricey than some other places in the region. Will be back, and definitely to try the dim sum!
(4)Allen T.
I decided to try this place after seeing the good mentions about their Peking Duck. Should have stuck to the stereotype; why in the world would you order this dish at a Cantonese restaurant? Well, let's just say, this was a rookie mistake. We ordered a few dim sum dishes as appetizers and these were fine, except that the fried stuff were no longer warm, let alone hot. My wife was in the mood for Peking Duck. We didn't want to drive all the way to Tyson's Corner to China Wok and I think Peking Gourmet Inn is too expensive and over rated. It took forever to come out, but we didn't call ahead, so it is to be expected, but what they served us was the worst rendition of this dish I have ever been served. The meat was cold; it was not sliced properly. the skin was brown rather than golden and was heavy rather than light and crispy. Either this was an anomaly or the rest of you who said good things about their Peking Duck just have no idea what good Peking Duck is suppose to be like. Anyway, I'm sure they do the Cantonese standards fine, but stay away from their Peking Duck.
(2)Ross M.
I haven't been here in years, but I was in for a surprise. The food quality and service is a lot better than what I remember. China Garden can go F themselves. Bunch of amateurs over there. jasmine tea - okay crispy pork (lechon?) - good (thanks Kim V.) har-gow - good shoe-my - good chicken feet - good (easy peppery-spicy flavor) jew-chow-shau-bau - okay (when they aren't piping hot, they taste frozen-made) pineapple bun - i don't order anymore, freaks me out $37 for 2, friendly service, fresh food (we got there at 10:50am though), in and out in a jiffy. I heard Red Pearl in Columbia closed, so sad. Let's see how HKP and MDH go against each other since they are only 100 yards apart.
(4)Mia M.
Mark's Duck House is pretty good food, probably one of the best places around here for dim sum, but it's expensive enough that I won't be coming back for a long time. Some dim sum, 2 menu items: noodles and chicken, and $2.25 tea = nearly $70.00 lunch for 3 people. Best advice is always check the price before ordering off the cart. We didn't realize the saucer of baby pig is $15, that's what did us in. Their Peking duck is gooood.
(3)A.R. P.
As diverse a menu as Mark's Duck House offers, it is rather perplexing why it chooses to feature "duck" in its name. Why single out the duck to the exclusion of everything else? In fact, the curious phrase, "Chinese Seafood & Grill Restaurant" appears on its menu; and, a perusal of Mark's offerings lists shrimp, scallop, clam, oyster, lobster, fish, and crab specialties. They even have a heading featuring, "conch, squid, and cuttlefish." Without a doubt, seafood has a much more prominent place at Mark's than duck. However, as I wandered in for a late dinner, I was not going to allow all of these seafood items to dissuade me from ordering the duck. I mean, really, if Mark's is, in fact, a "duck house" as it claims; then, the roast duck surely must be pretty good, right? Well, so much for logic. The duck, actually, was not very good (at least, not on my visit). While the chef did not take the duck from the window display and egregiously microwave it, he did not necessarily find a satisfactory way to crisp the skin. Although I could tell that it had been flashed with hot oil, the result was only mildly effective as the skin was still more moist than crispy. And, despite possessing the traditional Chinese spice rub on its interior carcass, the duck was largely flavorless. To Mark's credit, it did serve a portion of vegetables with the standard roast duck on rice platter. Some of its nearest competitors may literally offer simply duck and rice (like Full Kee); some places (like Miu Kee) may generously serve yu choy (a Chinese leafy green vegetable). Mark's is somewhere in between these two extremes in offering nappa cabbage along with the duck. However, the nappa cabbage that accompanied the duck was grossly water-logged and overcooked. It seemed like it had been festering for hours in a cauldron of boiling water. It was totally bland and unappetizing. Wow... Really, if Mark's is a "duck house," then that sure doesn't bode well for duck houses. Maybe, I should amend that old test of inductive reasoning. Surely, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then, it's probably going to end up being a sub-par meal at Mark's Duck House." Sad, isn't it?
(2)Sinbat S.
Stopped going there over 2 years ago for one reason: While sitting there eating with my family, I saw a cock roach crawling on the wall next to me. If you can eat your food while this is happening, be my guest.
(1)TJ M.
How disappointing! I went here over a year ago and loved it. However, I went back recently, and wow, it was actually bad. For whatever reason, there were at least 2-3 dishes that were cold. You'd think they'd at least recycle/reheat a dish if it's been sitting for too long? Anyway, shame on me, I should have been more careful. But my stomach was angry at me later. If you keep an eye on what you're ordering, you should be able to avoid this problem. That being said, I expect better from a restaurant.
(2)Lauren D.
Worst Dim Sum that I've ever had. Mediocre Chinese food, interior looks like one of those places on tv that is on a restaurant makeover show. Server sat down to eat lunch with other staff right next to us. Overall waste of time and money.
(1)Gregg M.
In the never-ending pursuit of good dim sum, the Yelp Community offered up their recommendations on the best the area has to offer and Mark's Duck House was one of the more popular picks. Some friends (and fellow Yelpers) and I met Eric O, the Sensei of the Haiku Yelp Review, and a group of his friends (and fellow Yelpers) at Mark's for a Saturday afternoon dim sum feast. Having never been to Hong Kong or elsewhere in China, I have no idea what a truly authentic dim sum house should look like, but Mark's looked and felt like some of the better dim sum places that I've been to on the west coast...Chinese women pushing carts of steaming hot goodness, lots of multi-generational Chinese families enjoying a family meal, and lots of Chinese being spoken. Since my part of the group arrived a few minutes late (damn the traffic!), the rest of the party was already in full feed mode by the time we sat down. Sitting down was little bit of a challenge since the restaurant was packed and probably violating the fire code for exceeding its maximum capacity. The dining room layout coupled with the mass of humanity made it difficult for the food carts to maneuver and make their appointed rounds. Although Mark's is a relatively small restaurant, they only had three carts, at most, on the floor at any given time. That coupled with the lack of maneuvering room, made it take a bit longer than it should for carts to come around. By the time the food carts did make their way to our table, the food was sometimes cold or at least tepid (ex. roasted duck) or they were out of the selection we wanted (ex. fried sesame balls). Not to dwell on the negatives, despite the crush of diners, the service was quite good. Dirty plates were taken away regularly and we never waited any length of time for our water glasses and pots of tea to be refilled. Mark's Duck House did offer up some flavorful dim sum...certainly the best I've had in the area, so far....for a very reasonable price. When a party of eight can eat till they're full for less than $20 per person with tip included, that's good value! Needless to say, I'll be back!
(3)Mark S.
Went here for Dim Sum a few months back. It was very disappointing. The food seemed soggy and greasy. Just didn't have the 'flavor' of other Dim Sum spots. Fortune across the street is much better and is bigger. I felt very cramped sitting inside Mark's Duck House. There are other Dim Sum places in the area that are better. I can't comment on their other dishes.. so this review is just for their Dim Sum.
(3)Eric O.
Five or more people definitely calls for a reservation. Four hundred dishes is approximately what we ordered, give or take. Three dishes were disappointingly not readily available: luóbo go (daikon cake), sweet tofu dessert, and sesame seed balls. Two hundred thousand calories were consumed, at least. One wonders where Megan J and Jesse will take us next...? ;)
(3)Amanda E.
Mark's Duck House has slid in as a later night favorite for noodle soup. Huge, steaming bowls of egg noodles and fish balls, or noodles, roast pork and wontons are my go-tos. Our fav greens are the watercress with bean curd paste. If you're up to try something beyond the usual Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, give them a shot. The peppery greens with the piquant bean curd paste is a perfect side to their soups.
(4)Oliver J.
The reviewer before me paid $15pp... haha well let's just say we ate more than double that amount per person (no extra drinks or anything). I thought it was fabulous. The hot dim sum was great. All the dumplings, the veggies, the awesomeness. I'd try and explain the dishes I liked... but they all seemed like different forms of dumplings... idk. The duck or port with the crispy fried skin was cold, why? The pork ribs were cold, why? The pork bus were too doughy. The tea was meh. The staff kept touching the tops of my tea mug and water glass.... were they born yesterday? I have trouble giving this place lower than four stars because for the price and seemed like quality of the food... it all worked from me. I could eat here once a month.
(4)Francis L.
Mark's Duck House provides the Norther Va area with a place to go for Chinese comfort food. Roasted meats (hanging chicken and ducks and pigs) and dim sum is what the place is know. For and Marks does both better than most for the Mid-Atlantic region. While not on par with the restaurants in the major Chinatowns in America the food is pretty authentic. The noodles are pretty authentic and good in a pinch. Overall if you are looking to find a pretty authentic Chinese food experience in the NOVA area you should at least give Mark's Duck House a shot.
(4)LanChi N.
I've been going here since I was a kid from when it first started in Eden Center as a small compact restaurant serving Mi Noodle Soups,Carry Out and other dishes. But now it has become"THE DIM SUM PLACE"'. Everyone and there moms' are here every weekend. They have the most variety that i've seen for dim sum. There is always hot food coming out of the kitchen. Although what i've noticed is that between the hours of 1:00-1:30 is when most of the better dishes that you usually don't expect at dim sum come out. One thing to remember is to be patient because all the dishes that pass by may look really good but some may just be eh...decent. We usually get pretty decent service...it may also because we go here so often lol. Either way the food is good and is worth the wait if your willing to wait for it. Or if your your just in the mood for good chinese cuisine that isn't americanized this is a place to go.
(4)Megan J.
Nine Yelpers sat down at the table And ate as much as were able Dumplings were stand-out But sesame balls were ran-out All in all, though, 'twas the dim sum so fabled!
(3)Dana V.
Always reliable, excellent dim sum and friendly service. We love going here for New Year's Eve or any other time. Very reasonable prices.
(4)Jackelyn A.
I had the Shrimp Dumplings from this place and they were so delicious! However, I soon became very upset and disappointed. Their Shrimp Dumplings are cooked with Pork fat!! I do not consume pork and I was disappointed that they did not mention this on the menu. Perhaps they should include that this dish is not just shrimp.
(2)Kozmeaux D.
Late review; sorry. This might be the last time I patron this place. Crowded for sure, but that doesn't mean its a good place. Dim sum was luke warm and flavorless.
(2)Vivian C.
Let me first start of by saying the service is wonderful. In many Chinese restaurants, the focus is not so much about customer service (ie: returning to see how satisfied customers are, refilling water, etc). The staff at Mark's Duck House is generally very friendly. The food was okay. Our table ordered the Peking duck, Sweet & Sour Spareribs Hong Kong Style, Diced Chicken w/ Anchovy & Eggplant Casserole and a blood cake dish. Keep in mind my family is Chinese. We tend to order dishes white Americans and non-Chinese folks are not too familiar with. The Peking duck wasn't the best I have tried mainly because the pancakes were very thin and dry. I'm used to them coming out steamed, moist, and of medium thickness. The duck itself was delicious: the skin was crispy brown and the duck meet wasn't to fatty. Like I said, though. Peking duck only has a few ingredients so not satisfying one of them definitely affects my views on this dish. The Sweet & sour spareribs are always delicious, but the portion is small for the price ($15). The spareribs were VERY small compared to the same dish from, say, XO Taste nearby. Very delicious, but not worth $15. The Diced Achovy & Eggplant casserole was delicious, but be careful not to dig right into it. It comes in a hotpot and is SUPER hot when the dish comes out (the waiter gave us a disclaimer). The anchovy is almost invisible and is basically salted fish. The eggplant is in chunks and the chicken isn't seasoned, but somehow everything goes well together. The blood cake dish is a dish Chinese people are familiar with. It is literally duck blood dried into cubes. Hence called cake blood. The dish also includes the kidney of a duck as well. I wouldn't say its delicious, as the cake has a minerally finish, but its not bad. The texture is that of jelly, sort of, but the flavor isn't something to shy away from. Give it a go, adventurous one =) I didn't give this place a 4 because I'm not a fan, but giving Mark's Duck House a 3 doesn't mean I dislike it. Like it says, this place is okay!
(3)Isabella W.
Decorated with the usual Chinese restaurant tackiness, Mark's Duck house offers some good dishes to satisfy the need for real Chinese food. We ordered: ------------DISH--------------- ------I WOULD------- Dumpling Noodle Soup Pass Peking Duck w/pancakes Order again Chicken Fried Rice Pass Chinese Watercress with garlic Order again The dumpling and the fried rice were not stellar just plain and edible. The peking duck is deboned and you do not get the bones to go even when you paid for the whole duck nor see them slicing it in front of you, I do feel kind of cheated on that. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, even more after I spoke Chinese to her.
(3)Cynthia L.
*I haven't eaten here, but I've carried out their peking duck. About $25 for a whole duck, nicely marinated and meaty, unlike other places I've been to. It's right next to Eden Center and always packed whenever I visit. 4 Star because I can't say anything about their food yet & because when I paid with credit card, they add a "surcharge" to your bill.
(4)Cecile K.
[This review is for their dimsum and duck] Good dimsum seems hard to find in DC/VA area, so my friends and I scoped out a few before choosing here (China Garden was a close second). Those who aren't familiar with dimsum in general (myself included since I have only gone a handful of times), the best time to go is for lunch on the weekends. Not only do you get a wide variety of selections, but also see the waiters and waitresses pushing metal carts with delicious goods to pick-and-choose from. (For me, that is half the fun.) My friends and I went for dinner on a weekday. Despite being skeptical, we still went because their website listed a dimsum menu (with pictures) for dinner/weekday. They said it was "limited", but we had no idea that it meant "hardly any food". The waitress was curt with us and seemed baffled why we were even asking for dimsum. She would respond with a "No. We out." whenever we would point at a particular dish on the menu (the carts were not there). We narrowed it down to about 4, 5 dishes split among five people. It was not enough, so we also ordered the duck. The few dishes we had were very good. I particularly remember their Sticky Rice (3 per dish) and their Sesame Balls (3 per dish). The food came out quickly and was hot, chewy, and flavorful (not too salty or oily like other places). The prices are a little higher than what you expect at a dimsum restaurant--I think we paid $4 or $5 for each dish. The amount per dish was a good size for 1-2 persons, not ideal for a group--unless you go on the weekends. Also, "sharing" dishes are hard since each dish comes out with 2-4 pieces of food. Unless you want to be THAT person and say, "This one is mine. Don't touch. But can I have some of your pork belly?", you will hardly get your fill. The duck was a little on the oily side. (My duck dish was glistening by the time we finished dinner.) It can stand on its own (great taste and consistency), as long as you don't compare it to Peking Gourmet Inn. One thing it does beat out is the price. We had a full duck and was pretty surprised at what the bill came out to. Overall: -Go for the duck -Go for the dimsum but only for lunch on the weekends when they have the carts -3 stars bc of the limited selection of food, even though their dinner/weekday still displayed a good amount -3 stars bc the food was delicious, even with the two, three available dimsum dishes they had
(3)Jen F.
I had high expectations for Mark's Duck house and sadly, it was a disappointment. We came here strictly for the Dim Sum and they seemed to have nothing left on the menu! Did you not restock your kitchen? What is up with that? The best dish was BY FAR the Mango pudding, which wouldn't be enough for me to come back to this establishment.
(2)Michelle D.
I recommend this restaurant if you want to eat dim sum because I liked the experience of picking dim sum from the cart. If you like tea, I recommend drinking Chrysanthemum tea and letting the tea bag soak for a few minutes. Then if you want it sweet, gradually add a spoonful of sugar cubes to it. I added 3 spoonfuls to our teapot. If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, I recommend ordering a couple of different plates of dim sum before 2pm on the weekends. I went on a Saturday and the restaurant stopped serving dim sum on the cart so I wasn't able to see what the food looked like. I like picking from the cart because I could point and ask what ingredients were inside. Otherwise you may make the mistake we did on our first visit which was to order chicken feet:)
(4)Christy L.
Good won ton soup if a bit salty. Spring rolls fried hot and including meat which surprised us. Glad we came in for some comfort food.
(4)Eric N.
I absolutely love the rice porridge with pork and extra preserved duck egg. It is my favorite dish here. I know it's so easy and simple, but they get it right here. Don't forget the fried bread stick. The sauteed chives and organs are delicious with rice too. Their mapo tofu is great with rice as well. Dim sum is sub par to me though.
(4)Sunah J.
I think this is the place to come on weekends. I was here on a Saturday afternoon a couple months back and it was super crowded and they carted all the dim sum around the restaurant and you got to pick what you wanted to eat. I'm here today on a Monday night and literally... My table is the only table occupied. We ordered a lot of foods so that we could try a little bit of everything. Here goes what I think of each one: 1) Combination lomein - sucks. There's no flavor and the seafood doesn't seem fresh. 2) Ribs - delicious! Full of flavor and comes out really hot right out of the steamer. 3)Duck - maybe the main reason to come here. It's really fresh and they give you a good portion for the price. 4)Roasted pork - tastes just like it does in China. I don't love all the fat attached to it but I guess that's what makes it delicious! 5) Dim sum (dumplings) - they were alright. Not amazing and not bad. Just okay. Service was good. They were attentive and the food ordered came out very fast. Will probably be coming back again if I'm in the area and craving dim sums!
(3)Lisa N.
Terrible service. I ordered a whole roasted pig for my dad's retirement party (that's the only thing he wanted) a week ahead of time. They charge about $13/lb and mine was 35lbs so after a "20% discount" (that they give to everyone), it turned out to be ~$365 + tax. I talked to John and told him specifically that I was coming at 10AM and that I wanted it chopped. I come in at about 10:45AM (I purposely told them a little earlier to make sure that it'd be ready) and turns out they gave my pig to someone else. WHAT THE HECK. I told the lady there that I needed my pig chopped because we didn't have the tools to chop a whole pig/make it pretty. She told me they were short-staffed and that it would take 2 hours. TWO HOURS?! To cut up a pig?! That they had promised to cut already?! I couldn't wait that long because I had to do a bunch of other errands before my dad's party so I just took the whole one... No apologies or anything. Unfortunately, Mark's is one of the few places in NoVA that actually offers a whole roasted pig for special occasions like weddings... I wouldn't recommend it, though, because they are really unreliable. TLDR: They gave my pig to someone else and didn't do anything about it or say sorry. We ended up cutting it ourselves. Even though it tasted good, it didn't look good.
(1)Eric J.
Dim sum dim sum! If they don't have a dish that you want you can always ask them to make it! I asked for the zhaliang; theirs was okay.
(3)Leslie Y.
Not impressed with this place as I came and am visiting from out of state. We have been there before, and we had high expectations, but it was disappointing. Most of the platters coming out were lukewarm. I used to love the plates coming out in a cart, but now that I am living in Chicago and there are made-to-order plates, it is way more fresh and better tasting. They told us that one of our plates was freshly prepared as we had requested, but it was just lukewarm. Service was okay, but you do feel a bit rushed on Saturday lunch time... It was an okay dim sum experience, but there hopefully is better out there!
(2)Britt C.
Great food but horrible decor. The carpet is sticky and overall in desperate need of renovation.
(3)Nicole G.
Came here for Saturday morning dim sum on Mother's Day weekend with a group of 6 total. My friend made the reservation for us for 10 a.m. Nothing like waking up, driving half an hour, then stuffing yourself until you can't stuff in any more! We arrived and were greeted right away and lead to our large table. The tables looked close together but we were the second people there and had plenty of room. The carts were still being loaded but we got water and a pot of tea right away. My friend and her mom speak Cantonese so I left the ordering up to them. I don't think I could repeat everything we ordered even if I tried!! SO many dumplings, veggies, noodles, and MEAT MEAT MEAT! Then bring on the tarts and steam buns!! I can't do dim sum a lot because I really have no self control! The waiters weren't pushy at all, just the perfect amount of asking us if we'd like the new dishes that just came out and clearing plates as they became empty. In the end our table racked up a $150 tab but we all ate more than our fill, AND we had a lot of leftovers to take home. We were given takeout containers and plastic bags no problem. And when I asked for some extra custard buns to-go it was no problem to add those in. (And I'm pretty sure the waiter snuck an extra bun in my order!) A bit out of the way for me, but definitely worth the trip!
(4)Carol T.
Ordered take-out. . 1. Fried shrimp balls -great, good size 2. Roasted pork - good as expected with crispy skin 3. Steamed chicken with ginger scallion sauce- RAW!! With about a cup of bloody juices that I had to pour out of the container! OK that alone was upsetting. I salvaged it by cooking it thinking it would still be good. Nope, just plain bland! A huge disappointment. I had many a take-out of steamed chicken in Philly, Maryland, and Va it was never this ghastly raw. Should've taken pics but was too hungry to think about it. Maybe because their specialty is duck that they don't know how to make this classic Chinese dish. Who knew I had to make sure to check that the chicken is fully cooked before leaving the restaurant?? Sorry but the raw food and lack of proper marinating wiped out all stars. I can cook bland chicken at home any time. **I hope that the restaurant will read this and not be so reckless when sending food out..even if it is take-out. This is dangerous to the public.
(1)Ryoko M.
I was visiting DC and decided to have dim sum here, as where we are currently living doesn't have a dim sum joint. Being originally from Vancouver, BC, I have to say that the the dim sum here was average, or sub-par on some items. I can only speak for the dim sum items that I consumed, but overall, it didn't wow me. We had four dim sum dishes - streamed shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), siu mai and deep fried taro dumplings. The one item that I liked was the taro dumplings - it was nicely fried, with a good amount of taro filling in the middle. We enjoyed this most. The siu main was OK, it was not the juicy, moist kind that I've had at other places. The shrimp dim sum dishes were the most disappointing: the shrimp in the shrimp dumplings had a mushy texture that didn't resemble the plump shrimps that were supposed to be in there. The shrimp rolls were lukewarm, even though they had just come out of the kitchen, and the rice roll part was gummy and a strange texture to them, like they had re-steamed it. I wouldn't go back, but then again, I'm sure I am a bit spoiled from the great dim sum that Vancouver offers.
(3)David T.
The place originally sounds and looks a bit sketchy but it is actually a really wonderful place! We stumbled on this place while hanging around Seven Corners and thought hey why not?? Mainly, my fiancee wanted Dim Sum at like 6pm on a Saturday and this place happened to have it. Now when we say Dim Sum, they don't have the rolling carts at this time of day, but the menu items are available to order. We order the standard: sieu mai, ha cao, chicken feet, etc... They were actually not that bad, good flavors and what not. Not the best but not the worst. I ordered a plate of rice and Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and for like $9-10, I was really surprised at the generous portions they brought out. The pork was of course delicious and I was just really happy at the end of it. Good server, quick on his feet, open to suggestions and actually pretty funny!
(4)Jenn M.
Disappointing. Really makes me miss the dim sum places back home in Los Angeles. Nothing compares to good ol' LA dim sum. We came at opening on a Sunday and no wait. It was odd that they were bringing us the dim sum on a tray. They eventually came around with the carts but I just found it odd they were bringing us displays of trays instead of the cart. The duck was decent, typical and not mind blowing. The roasted suckling pig with crispy skin was probably the best thing we had there. Reminds me of lechon (filipino dish). The fried shrimp ball was not good at all. I would avoid it. Shrimp and pork dumplings were decent. The vegetable spring rolls were okay. When I asked for sauce they told me to ask the waiter. I mean, aren't you suppose to have the supplemental condiments with you on your cart?! This is one strange dim sum place. The sticky fried rice was okay. Too sticky for my taste but gotta have my rice with my food. We ended our meal with the fried sesame balls, they were okay. It was greasy and could have stayed in the fryer a little longer, it was a bit light in color but that's minor. Our server was really friendly though. The place is a bit small and dark inside. I don't think I'll be back here.
(2)Marivic L.
I hadn't been to Mark's Duck House in many years, but a friend wanted to try it out again. The place was fairly empty at 7:00. Maybe that's why we got great service? I can't be sure. All I know is, we were greeted well and our glasses were always filled. Throughout, we had the appropriate amount of attention from our lovely server. Now to the food. My friend ordered whole fried shrimp which had great flavor and were cooked perfectly. I probably could have eaten the entire plate of them. We also go the roasted pork. It was good but didn't wow me. It was, after all, just plain roasted pork. We received the sauce to dip it in, and that made it better, but it was still underwhelming. The skin was also not as crispy as it should be. Lastly, we had the Chinese watercress. I love me some Chinese watercress and, while it was still good, I found it a bit overdone. Other places know to keep it nice and "bright" green, rather than cooking it until it was no longer crisp. So, all in all, Mark's Duck House provided me with a good dinner with good service.
(3)Inku T.
I've been dining at Mark's ever since I was in elementary school. I'm not a fan of the old layout, especially the carpeting, but the restaurant is relatively clean. There is ample parking, but once the lunch rush starts, it gets packed so be careful! I usually come here for the dim sum and it never fails me. It's more fun when you go on the weekends when they push their little carts around and you choose which dim sum set you want. I'm not sure if they do that on the weekdays. I've always ordered from the menu Mon-Fri. Their roasted duck and roasted pork are also delicious. My mom used to bring it home all the time when we lived in Arlington. I especially love their banh bao xa xiu (roasted pork bun), but the steamed ones. I think they are the only ones that actually sell them. Anywho, my favorite local (but not really because I drive 45 mins to get here) dim sum place has yet to fail me! (:
(4)Jimmy G.
I got to Mark's Duck House quite early on a Saturday for Dim-Sum. First thing I ordered was the baby roasted pig and the duck and both were decent. The roasted pig, while bursting with flavor, was lukewarm and so the fat had an unpleasant texture. The duck was also kind of lukewarm and only so-so despite the restaurant being called a duck house; I've had better from just my local Cantonese Convenience Store. The dim-sum, however, was the star of the show. There was a large variety and everything was being wheeled around in metal carts. I didn't have a chance to try everything, but I do have to say that the Taro Balls were one of the best items I had from the selection. Overall the dim-sum was good, and if you have a craving for this food it's definitely worth it to drive out to Mark's and get some.
(3)Joe M.
We stopped there for afternoon Dim Sum earlier in April, and were really quite pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Har Gau, excellent. Kuo Teh, while not technically Dim Sum, first rate. We liked the Siu Mai as well. I am a big fan of Jiu Cai Bau, (chive dumplings), and they were wonderful. Cheong Fan with shrimp, excellent. The revelation was a the Lo Baak Gou, (turnip cakes), simply the best we have ever had. The characters for "Dim Sum" mean "Drink Tea" in Mandarin, and we did, the tea was uncommonly fine. We will return, I am sure.
(5)Kim L.
Food was slightly below average, being so greasy. My biggest gripe was the fact that this lady server kept staring at us eat the entire time, no exaggeration!! So uncomfortable. Will not be coming back here.
(2)Min K.
This place has a lot of options for dim sum. Came in around 11:30 on a Sunday and were just able to beat the lunch rush. We were seated right away and immediately afterwards a server came by to get our drink orders. Carts came by often enough to order the tasty dim sum. Everything was delicious! I wish we had come with another person or two just so we could try more dishes. My bf and I could only eat so much. Ha ha. Most of the dishes came in 3's. We got baby pork and it was good but nothing amazing. When we paid our bill the baby pork by itself was $15! Other than that everything else was reasonably priced. We will def be coming back.
(4)Ben S.
Decent dim sum, the staples were good (har-gow, shu mai, etc.) but I wasn't crazy about all the pre-made food (chow fun noodles pre-made and put on carts, stir fried vegetables on carts). If you're in the area and are craving dim sum, this place will satisfy you, but that's about it.
(3)Jennifer N.
I used to come here all the time while growing up. It was one of my family's go-to Chinese restaurants. We would enjoy dim sum, dinner, lunch, etc. here. Well, the quality of the food and the service has definitely changed and not for the better. I went here on Mother's Day and it was ridiculously packed. I hadn't been in a while, so I thought...packed = still good eats. WRONG. The one good thing was that we were seated really fast even though it was busy. The service was bad - took forever for the dim sum carts to make its way to our table. The layout of the restaurant is terrible for dim sum. I got up to use the bathroom and was basically stuck for a little in between two tables and two carts -_- yupp, just my luck. Pretty awkward. They didn't offer a lot of dim sum dishes that I'm used to ordering. The food was cold and not impressive. For the price that I paid...it was not worth it at all. To top it off...after I paid with my credit card - I didn't include a tip via card because my uncle left it in cash. The waitress GRABBED my uncle and screamed, " It's Mother's Day and you aren't going to leave me a tip?!?!"...after she had seen the credit card receipt. He gave her a crazy look and pointed to the cash that was left on the table. Never. Ever. Ever. Again.
(1)Jey J.
Hello amazing! Dim sum whenever I want? Yes please! The roasted meats are delicious and so worth the drive.
(5)Daniel T.
I have been going here for years and continue going even after they have changed owners more than once. They have great carry out and authentic Chinese food. This is definitely not a Michelin starred restaurant so do not expect top notch service or cleanliness. They also have some of the best tasting dim sum in the area. They are open pretty late daily and get crowded during dim sum hours on the weekend.
(3)Lucy C.
My favorite restaurant for Dim Sum. Food is well proportioned. I am here atleast once a week for there baked pork buns and steamed dumplings. Reminds me of Chinatown in San Francisco and New York City. Fresh chinese food and dumplings. Owners really nice.
(5)Grace H.
Had a craving for Beijing duck, searched Yelp for a recommendation, this one come up. The review is rather mixed. I decide to just take a dive and go for it. The place is in a small mall in Arlington Boulevard, about 40 minutes drive from downtown DC. The place is small and rather old. Given it's owner is an architect, I guess his heart was not in designing this restaurant. The service is efficient from the serving staff. The food arrived fast for the first course, which is the Beijing Duck. After that, it was a little slow. The duck is not what I used to. In Asia -- in Hong Kong or Beijing. When one order a Beijing Duck, be it a half one, the duck would be craved in front of you. Here I only see the duck meat on the plate. I don't know if the portion was really a half portion. From my experience, it looks more like a quarter plus a bit rather than half. There were only 4 pancake in the basket!!! The taste was ok, since there is the Hoi Sin Sauce as condiments, nothing much can go wrong, some of the skin is a little dry. So the duck for me is only an OK. The other two dishes I ordered is Combo Calamari, Scallop and Shrimps with Spice and Salt, and the Chinese Kale. The Combo Calamari was a bit blend, though it was fried perfectly. The Chinese Kale comes in rather large portion size, but it comes with very little oyster sauce. There are good points, the serving staffs are pleasant. So all in all it is an ok for me.
(3)Vien H.
So my experience was not as good as others. We arrived and waited 10 minutes cause the place was full, no big deal at all. This is totally understandable. Then came the food, you will find that anything on the plates would be mild warm to cold, and stuffs that from the metal trays hot. But what annoy me is how they just mark a line on the order ticket, and they began to screw me up from here. I ordered 2 salsha crabs plate and 1 salt pepper shrimp plate, the respective prices are 14 and 8. And yet they marked 2 line on the shrimp, and 2 on the crabs. So I came to the checkout counter to ask the question why is that... then the lady in charge showed me the ad paper (prob menu, but it look like an ad on the newspaper), pointing to some of the items asking me did I have it. I looked and I said no I didn't. Then they just reduce the price 8 dollars off and say, that fine that fine and charge me 60 dollars less, but what made me pissed off is what she said next. She said may be you are wrong, may be we are wrong, we don't know, then handed me the bill to sign... I feel like I got looked down and they reduced the charge just so I would leave asap. It is not like I dine and dash, I just want a clarification on a stupid arbitrarily bill that they gave me. And they said that pretty loud in front of other customers too... Honestly, worst experience ever.
(2)Heather B.
I used to come here for dim sum. But lately I've been coming here to satisfy my craving for duck noodle soup. Its so good here. I don't think I'd go newhere else for it. Always consistently perfect. I get it with extra chinese broccoli. The boyfriend orders duck and wonton. He tends to eat more than me even though im pregnant and it always fills him up so the portions are a really good size.
(4)Dani P.
It's as though Thai is the new Chinese food in the NoVA/ DC area; it's becoming more and more difficult to find good Chinese food. Mark's Duck House is like the oasis. If you come on a Sunday morning, this place gets packed. It's such an experience to be at a big table with your family or friends, wanting to pick up more items from the cart than you can really eat. They are obviously known for their delicious duck, but my other favorite are the steamed pork buns. I could eat a meal entirely of their pork buns. The best part is that feeding parties of 5 or more isn't that expensive! You'll pay as much for them as you would at a different sit down restaurant for 3. If you come on a weekday night, it'll be less crowded, but sometimes they'll be out of some of their dim sum options. It doesn't always stop me from going :)
(5)Shani L.
Best duck in the area. Yummy BBQ pork buns. Huge portions. Great for carry out. Cons- please update your decor. Green chairs, dim lighting and 1970s tables all should go.
(4)Victoria L.
My absolute favorite place for dim sum! I'd say I come at least 2-3 times a month for the dim sum and have been for several years. I stopped going to Fortune across the street because the food just went downhill. It gets extremely busy on weekends but I will stand there for 45 minutes just to get my favorite taro "footballs" (is what I call them) The food is fresh and it's consistently delicious. The service is awesome, they are really accomodating and get you whatever you need even if you ask for something new every 2 minutes. All you need to know is this place has one of the best dim sum foods in the area! Never disappointing and a must try!!!
(5)Han V.
This place is a great lunch spot but can be very crowded during peak hours--- and reasonably so! Their dim sum items are reasonably priced and even if they don't have the carts going around, you can still order dim sum items in addition to what they have on their menu. From their menu, I like to get their combination meat plate where you get to pick out 2 meats. I highly recommend the roasted pig with crispy skin. The skin is sooo crispy and downright addicting. Their duck is the other meat that I like to order. It is a little oily, but will satisfy a craving and is good to eat with rice. Definitely not the best in my opinion, but decent enough. From their dim sum menu, I like their shrimp dumplings, shumai, lobster dumplings, and spare ribs. Servers here are usually very welcoming and the carts do go around relatively quick. However, the servers may have limited English so be clear when you order or they may slip in a couple of extra dishes that you didn't order! Food: 4 Value: 3.5 Service: 3 Overall: 3.5
(4)Nicole L.
The restaurant had seen its days sometime it doesnt hurt to give it an update. It had a funky smell and looked greasy. The staff was friendly a little over zealous. I ordered the roasted meat platter and congee with beef and squid. The roasted meats were ok they were very meaty and lean. The congee was really good. Half way through I decided to order a stirred fried vegetables. The manager made his occasion rounds to each table to check if everything was ok.
(3)Erin P.
Truly outstanding dim sum. I have eaten dim sum all over the DMV, in NYC, and in Hong Kong, and this is some of the best in the US. We got there late, around 1pm, and only waited a few minutes (but we were only 2 so perhaps the wait is longer with a larger group). We called ahead to get a sense of the wait ahead of time - smart move. Everything we had was awesome, with very few exceptions. The half-duck was superb, as was the roast pork and all the porky buns. The abalone dumpling was delicious and unique, and they had some of the best shumai I've ever had. Service was fine, what you'd expect in a busy dim sum restaurant. I will definitely be back!!
(5)Kathleen T.
Very mediocre dim sum. They push around carts that has a variety of dim sum. There aren't that many options. The food didn't look fresh on the cart. Seemed like they had been pushed around for a while. However, there were fresh dim sum that came out from the kitchen on trays. Small restuarant. Good service. We got the duck which was filled with fat and kind of cold. Duck tends to be fatty but this had a lot of fat and barely any meat. Fail. Wasn't impressed at all. Oriental East is so much better and worth the wait.
(3)Katherine C.
Disclaimer: I've only had dim sum at Mark's Duck House so I have nothing to compare it to BUT don't disregard this review just yet! I've been here a few times for weekend dim sum and each time, the food has been amazing and very consistent. Service is excellent, even when it's busy (and it gets busy!). Basically, you have a main server who will bring your drinks and anything off the menu to you, but for dim sum, several food runners walk around the restaurant with carts filled to the brim with dumplings of all kinds (please get the fried taro dumpling), sauteed vegetables, pot stickers, ribs, suckling pig, fried chicken feet, fried shrimp (with the heads on, yum!), noodles, etc. The peking duck here is completely fabulous and on our last visit, our server, Linda, expertly wrapped our peking duck for us like a pro! My boyfriend's parents have been to Hong Kong many times and always mention that you could plop Mark's Duck House into Hong Kong and they would be right at home, which is pretty high praise. If you like dim sum (or if you want to try it for the first time), definitely check out Mark's Duck House.
(5)Michelle M.
I'm from California and my Chinese taste buds are pretty much up there. Mark's Duck House actually did a good job-- food is just as good as what I'd find in SoCal. Roast duck is crispy and tasty. Roast pork belly was good, too. Their version of honey walnut shrimp is different -- panko breading-- but still good. The portions are generous and pricing is affordable.
(4)Donna W.
Excellent and authentic Hong Kong style dim sum. It's very crowded so go early. It's got the hustle and bustle of a typical great Chinese restaurant. Lots of dim sum carts, but some dishes were not available unless yo ordered them, and that would take 15+ mins. Plenty of dishes to choose from to make everyone from the table happy.
(5)Mari A.
#54 It's been about 9 years since I've lived in an area where good Dim Sum flourished. This was in Northern CA. Then I moved to San Diego,CA for about 9 years and though there were some decent dim sum, nothing compared to the bay. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a Dim Sum place in the area I currently live in now in NoVA, I bookmarked it immediately. Sadly, the experience at Mark's Duck House did not match the little kid enthusiasm that had taken over my body. This wasn't a bad place to get dimsum and actually would CONSIDER coming back to give it a second chance. Overall, the dishes were very dry and left my poor tongue feeling quite unsatisfied and parched. BUT it wasn't a total loss. AND there were a few other items on the cart that looked appetizing, it's just hard to order all this food when there's only the two of us. The GOOD: -Crab claws: meaty and delicious. -Sticky Fried Rice: flavorful and met my expectations. -Eggplant: probably the best thing I had in that whole meal! The BAD: -Tofu: the wrapped tofu was A-okay but was pretty dry. Sad as this is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. -Vegetable Dumpling: not totally a lost cause but tasted pretty bland. The UGLY: -Pork Shumai: Such a basic order!! Alas, it was overly dry and I wanted to cry! -Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed: First timer on this dish! I like seafood. I like seafood. I did NOT like the Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed. -Duck: I believe this was their peking duck.. so sad. So dry. :( Dishes i'd like to come back for in hopes they're as good as my eyes made them look: - Chow Fun - Pork Sparibs. Uggggh.. writing this review made me wish I could teleport back to San Francsico in a heartbeat vs a 5 hour flight over.
(3)Mohammed K.
Met up with some school friends I haven't seen in a long time for a 12:30 lunch. Had to wait a bit for our table but at least it was an organized process with number being called. I would like to echo the yelpers comments about the service, if you're here expecting an attentive team keeping a close eye on you forget it. Its carts with food moving around 30 tables trying to serve everyone. Stick to the DimSum the other dishes were not that great. Maybe I'm just not into Asian restaurants, maybe I've been spoiled. Even though its called Marks duck house the duck was initially served cold to us. I wouldnt go back. I can get the same food at the strip mall next to my house.
(2)Chris T.
Mark's Duck House was an awesome dim sum place. We went on 11:30 Sunday, and there was no wait. The waiter offered a choice of hot teas very quickly. We had a nice selection of dim sum and a few other non-dumpling dishes. All were delicious except the roast pork was on the non-steaming cart so it wasn't hot, but it was still crispy. Our only regret was not buying roast pork or roast duck before we sat down because when we left there was a line for the roast meats and for large tables.
(4)h d.
I came here with family. I trusted them. Then the next the morning I was reflecting on my experience and thought "surely Yelpers will tell the truth..." and I have to say, I'm stunned by the positive reviews. Maybe it's because I didn't eat the dim sum. Even Zagat rates this place high. Awful, awful, awful if you want standard "Americanized" dishes, like General Tso or sweet and sour chicken. I know that that's not the point of this place, but we also had some dumplings and spring rolls. Plainly: gross. The spring rolls had stringy, old tasting chicken in it (the server barked at me that they didn't have vegetable spring rolls, "only chicken") and too much of it. The lo mein was really greasy, the duck was tasty but greasy and not well-trimmed at all because I got a huge piece of fat, which was obnoxious considering what I paid for it, the sweet and sour chicken and General Tso was definitely not white meat as they said when we asked... It actually seemed like chicken scrapings almost, like what's left over after you've butchered and trimmed, fried to within an inch of being inedible. Really bad. The restaurant itself was not clean. It didn't appear that they had changed our table cloth between sittings or at all that day. A member of our party had spilled their drink. When we were in front of the place waiting for everyone to gather (it was empty, so we were milling around near some tables - you can see nothing if you're all the way out front), I saw staff bus and reset the table. Ok fine, but I knew there was beverage all over one half of the table cloth. Also, I ate my meal staring across the room at some disgusting fish and lobster (I think) tanks. They looked like they had never been cleaned, and you could see the mold on the black piping servicing each tank. It was overall a disgusting experience. And yeah, this stuff matters to me when I'm not eating out of a truck or in a different country with different expectations... our final bill is over $130.
(1)Samantha B.
I've been coming here as long as I can remember. This is one of the best dim sum place to go to in the NOVA area, IMO. It could get pretty packed during the peak hours when dim sum is being served but thankfully they accept reservations. The service is moderate, attentive but could be somewhat slow. The food is great and always fresh. I love the hargow, fried shrimp ball with a crab claw, steamed chinese broccoli and shumai from the dim sum cart. And we normally always order combination fried rice, wonton noodle soup and stir-fry chinese watercrest with garlic. Never had a bad experience or been disappointed. Prices are fair.
(4)James Y.
"Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again." - Old saying in Texas, probably Tennessee Being an avid dim sum fan, I've been searching for the elusive perfect dim sum place. Although it isn't perfect, the dim sum at Mark's Duck House is decent enough and has been our go to spot for a dim sum fix. Unfortunately, I've experienced unethical behavior several times now and I felt the need to inform others. Like at many dim sum places there isn't a full menu with prices available. This isn't a problem, as it isn't customary for many dim sum restaurants to do so. However, we noticed that the manager will take advantage of this lack of transparency. We noticed on a couple of occasions, that the manager will fudge the prices of the dish if he thinks that he can get away with it. For instance, we ordered 'gao choi gao', which he marked as 4.25 the first time around. When we ordered another order, it was marked as 4.50. When we asked about the correct price, no one could tell us what the correct price is. On a couple of previous occasions, we would be overcharged for one more plate when we had a large to-go order. It is human to make a mistake, so we excused this as an honest mistake, but when it occurred again today, we made a mental note to avoid Mark's Duck from now on. tl;dr Ask and double check the price of each dish on your dish...you may be getting fooled.
(1)Minh D.
One of my family's go to places for dim sum on the area! The staff here is very friendly but at times can be SUPER overwhelming when they swarm you trying to sell you "X" or "Y." The food temperature here is 50-50 -- it's either super hot meaning it's fresh or its cold. The steamed stuff is usually pretty hot though -- it's mostly the fried things and stuff that isn't kept on the gas cart that had that problem. The food is seasoned pretty well for what it's worth. If you're here definitely get the ha gao (it's a shrimp dumpling), the xiu mai (pork dumplings) and the pai gwut (steamed spare ribs.) As for the dishes on their other carts, check out the steamed rice or the taro cakes! The egg tarts and pineapple buns are also the bomb. Overall, this is definitely a place to go if you're looking to get your dim sum fix but keep in mind that your food is either gonna be super fresh and hot or just warm/cold. Prices are pretty good. P.S. Make sure to get some tea with your meal. It'll help wash everything down
(3)Kimberly K.
Growing up in VA, my parents used to bring us here all the time. One of my favorite things at Mark's Duck House is obviously, their duck. It can be on the greasier side but the flavors are all there. This isn't the best duck in the VA area but I still enjoy eating here. Their other dishes are good but I wouldn't say great. Service can be a hit or miss. Sometimes you're warmly greeted and get a great server and sometimes it's a complete miss. Service has improved greatly from past years. I've been here for dinner many times, but a friend suggested we try out their Dim Sum. B and I brought my cousin here. Came super early and found a seat immediately. The only thing about being one of the first customers is that not all their dim sum items were ready at that time. I still suggest coming early, since this pace does get packed but maybe not the very first ones in the door. This way you will have a larger variety of items to choose from as time goes by. We enjoyed ourselves and left more than full! Mark's Duck House is a solid dim sum joint. May I also suggest Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant in Falls Church.
(3)Justine K.
This place definitely has a lot of variety. The dishes come out quickly and there are lots of choices. The food tastes great. My favorite was the taro balls. It has some kind of meat in the middle but I couldn't figure out what kind. My least favorite was the steamed oysters. They were too big and had a metallic taste. Also, unfortunately too pricey. Definitely not worth it for $7 a piece. No wonder the waitress kept pushing it. I didn't have to wait long to get a table. They are pretty efficient at getting you in and out but you feel rushed. 3 Stars for the pricey oysters and feeling rushed. I'm a Marylander so I would rather go to Far East in Rockville where the service is superb and the food is great.
(3)Jun Y.
Here's a list of the items we ordered and if it's a buy, pass, questionable: Special: Crab Dumpling - Questionable, the $7 price point was steep. Not balling like that to be ordering 3 dumplings for 7 bucks. Special: Chicken Dumpling - Questionable, Ground chicken, Ginger, Scallions, Onions Hargow: Buy, best Hargow around the block. tender meat and fresh. Order 2 Shumai: Questionable, it wasn't special and the wrapper was stuck together like it was overcooked Steamed roasted pork bun: Buy, comes in a order of 2. The bao is soft and there's plenty of stuffing in the middle. Served warm and delicious Fried tofu roll: Buy, It doesn't look appetizing but it taste amazing. Bamboo shoot, pork, ginger, and onions wrapped like an egg roll. Shrimp steamed rice roll: Buy, ask for additional sauce on top. Potstickers: Pass, the dumplings are flat and cold. it's not worth it, there are better options on the same cart. Steamed Custard bun: Buy, special ordered because it's not on the steam cart. It was the perfect way to end a salty, savory dim sum session. The spicy pepper flakes was pretty mild; it wasn't as spicy and fresh as the Fortune hot sauce. The service was decent, the waiter came around a few times to fill up the ice water and tea kettle. The waiters pushing the carts had serviceable english to explain the dishes that were special to MDH. We didn't feel rushed to pay and leave once we were done with the meal. It came out to $25 for each person after tip. Overall it was an enjoyable service.
(4)Amanda M.
Stopped in with two other friends on New Year's day around 1:30 in the afternoon. Since it was a holiday there were serving dim sum and the place was packed. One tip, if you are willing to share a table, you may get seated more quickly as the middle of the restaurant is full of large round tables and they don't always have parties large enough to fill the entire table. We decided not to share and as a result waited about ten minutes longer than we would have. There was a number system going on which helped to make the wait go more quickly, however, I'm glad I was standing next to the hostess and noticed that she crossed off our number without calling it off. I pointed it out to her and she seated us right away. Even though we were seated around 2PM, the carts were full and service was quick. Between the three of us we had at least 9 different dishes: Pan-fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - one of my favorites - a bit crispy yet soft and well seasoned. Fried Shrimp Balls - the inside of ball is essentially a shrimp paste, not my favorite dish. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - meets the expectations. Stuffed Crab Claw Balls - really large fried circular option with a crab claw sticking out, no one was impressed. Salt-fried Head-on Shrimp with Garlic and Chili Pepper - always a crowd pleaser. Roast Suckling Pig with Crispy Skin - savory and tender. Har Gao - steamed shrimp dumplings - met expectations. Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves - sticky, savory and met expect ions. The surprise hit was the Fried Pork and Shrimp Turnover - served in little paper cups that look like cupcake wrappers, three to an order. Fried and salty but filled with a rice mixture that was slightly sweet and reminded me of mochi in texture. The middle was a filling of shrimp, pork, and what tasted like mushrooms. I would order these and the chive dumplings any day. Overall, solid place for dim sum. Water glasses were constantly refilled as was our hot tea. I'll be back.
(4)Ihita K.
Some Sundays, I wake up and need a change from the bottomless brunches & eggs bennies (mmmm, the ones with poached salmon, but I digress). Enter soul food - asian style, aka dim sum. I had never checked out this restaurant before since I live across the street from the *best* dim sum restaurant ever (Oriental East, obvi), but I'm always up for checking out new foodie spots. Our group of friends (4 for the party) arrived around 11 am and we surprisingly didn't have a wait - which is apparently not normally the case, so try to plan your visit to be either early in the morning or later in the afternoon (1 pm ish) to avoid long wait times. We ordered a variety of dishes - steamed bok choy, roast duck, ribs, shrimp dumplings (2 different kinds), mussels, and finished with sesame balls. The food was good but nothing to write home about .. but at the same time, nothing was bad. The dumplings were standard, the mussels dish was a new one for me (and I would definitely get it again), the duck was yummy but also a tad too fatty, and the sesame balls were not the best that I've ever had. However, I will say the ribs were exceptional - as in I'm still thinking about them a whole 8 hours later. All in all - I think this place deserves a solid 3 - it's not bad, it's not great, but if you're close to the location, I would give it a try for dim sum should you have the hankering.
(3)Sumo Y.
I've been here more then 20 times.. love this place to death.. orange beef is my favorite here, with the combination fried rice..They're roast duck is great its greasy as usual..
(5)Noel L.
The duck was quite greasy.... Few chooses for dim sum... However, the service was nice tho
(2)Tiffany L.
Dim sum and roast pork here is the best you can get in Virginia. I've tried all the good dim sum around here and this is the best and freshest. Shrimp noodles, hacao (spelling?) and the others are delicious. I also always get cha cuc (tea) with my meal. My family orders whole roast pig and pork buns for parties and they're on point. Marks Duck House is the closest you'll get to Chinatown, NY dim sum. (Spelling is Viet and may be wrong...oops.)
(5)Yuyu S.
Siamese Sunday is incomplete without dim sum and Superbowl Sunday seemed liked the perfect day to avoid long lines and large crowds. Going with my group of friends, we prayed that everyone was too busy day drinking to go to dim sum - well Jeebus heard our prayers and answered. I'd heard wonderful things about Mark's Duck House and wanted to give it a shot despite my skepticism towards dim sum in Virginia (c'mon, everyone knows Maryland is where it's at). Well, apparently the skepticism was not completely uncalled for because I was neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed - I was simply 'whelmed'. The establishment has an immediate feel of authenticity as my one companion was taken back by the various hanging meats in the window. We ordered the rice crepes, taro balls, taro cake, baby pig, bok choy, shumai, potsickers, pork buns and the milk buns/custard tarts for dessert. Nothing was exceptionally great and it felt both oily and lacking in freshness. There were also tons of carts going around but it was all generally the same items, there didn't seem to be much variety. All in all, the prices were fair and it's a solid establishment to go to if you're looking for dim sum in the Virginia area. I regret nothing.
(3)Jun Y.
Here's a list of the items we ordered and if it's a buy, pass, questionable: Special: Crab Dumpling - Questionable, the $7 price point was steep. Not balling like that to be ordering 3 dumplings for 7 bucks. Special: Chicken Dumpling - Questionable, Ground chicken, Ginger, Scallions, Onions Hargow: Buy, best Hargow around the block. tender meat and fresh. Order 2 Shumai: Questionable, it wasn't special and the wrapper was stuck together like it was overcooked Steamed roasted pork bun: Buy, comes in a order of 2. The bao is soft and there's plenty of stuffing in the middle. Served warm and delicious Fried tofu roll: Buy, It doesn't look appetizing but it taste amazing. Bamboo shoot, pork, ginger, and onions wrapped like an egg roll. Shrimp steamed rice roll: Buy, ask for additional sauce on top. Potstickers: Pass, the dumplings are flat and cold. it's not worth it, there are better options on the same cart. Steamed Custard bun: Buy, special ordered because it's not on the steam cart. It was the perfect way to end a salty, savory dim sum session. The spicy pepper flakes was pretty mild; it wasn't as spicy and fresh as the Fortune hot sauce. The service was decent, the waiter came around a few times to fill up the ice water and tea kettle. The waiters pushing the carts had serviceable english to explain the dishes that were special to MDH. We didn't feel rushed to pay and leave once we were done with the meal. It came out to $25 for each person after tip. Overall it was an enjoyable service.
(4)Sunah J.
I think this is the place to come on weekends. I was here on a Saturday afternoon a couple months back and it was super crowded and they carted all the dim sum around the restaurant and you got to pick what you wanted to eat. I'm here today on a Monday night and literally... My table is the only table occupied. We ordered a lot of foods so that we could try a little bit of everything. Here goes what I think of each one: 1) Combination lomein - sucks. There's no flavor and the seafood doesn't seem fresh. 2) Ribs - delicious! Full of flavor and comes out really hot right out of the steamer. 3)Duck - maybe the main reason to come here. It's really fresh and they give you a good portion for the price. 4)Roasted pork - tastes just like it does in China. I don't love all the fat attached to it but I guess that's what makes it delicious! 5) Dim sum (dumplings) - they were alright. Not amazing and not bad. Just okay. Service was good. They were attentive and the food ordered came out very fast. Will probably be coming back again if I'm in the area and craving dim sums!
(3)Kathleen T.
Very mediocre dim sum. They push around carts that has a variety of dim sum. There aren't that many options. The food didn't look fresh on the cart. Seemed like they had been pushed around for a while. However, there were fresh dim sum that came out from the kitchen on trays. Small restuarant. Good service. We got the duck which was filled with fat and kind of cold. Duck tends to be fatty but this had a lot of fat and barely any meat. Fail. Wasn't impressed at all. Oriental East is so much better and worth the wait.
(3)Lisa N.
Terrible service. I ordered a whole roasted pig for my dad's retirement party (that's the only thing he wanted) a week ahead of time. They charge about $13/lb and mine was 35lbs so after a "20% discount" (that they give to everyone), it turned out to be ~$365 + tax. I talked to John and told him specifically that I was coming at 10AM and that I wanted it chopped. I come in at about 10:45AM (I purposely told them a little earlier to make sure that it'd be ready) and turns out they gave my pig to someone else. WHAT THE HECK. I told the lady there that I needed my pig chopped because we didn't have the tools to chop a whole pig/make it pretty. She told me they were short-staffed and that it would take 2 hours. TWO HOURS?! To cut up a pig?! That they had promised to cut already?! I couldn't wait that long because I had to do a bunch of other errands before my dad's party so I just took the whole one... No apologies or anything. Unfortunately, Mark's is one of the few places in NoVA that actually offers a whole roasted pig for special occasions like weddings... I wouldn't recommend it, though, because they are really unreliable. TLDR: They gave my pig to someone else and didn't do anything about it or say sorry. We ended up cutting it ourselves. Even though it tasted good, it didn't look good.
(1)Eric J.
Dim sum dim sum! If they don't have a dish that you want you can always ask them to make it! I asked for the zhaliang; theirs was okay.
(3)Leslie Y.
Not impressed with this place as I came and am visiting from out of state. We have been there before, and we had high expectations, but it was disappointing. Most of the platters coming out were lukewarm. I used to love the plates coming out in a cart, but now that I am living in Chicago and there are made-to-order plates, it is way more fresh and better tasting. They told us that one of our plates was freshly prepared as we had requested, but it was just lukewarm. Service was okay, but you do feel a bit rushed on Saturday lunch time... It was an okay dim sum experience, but there hopefully is better out there!
(2)Britt C.
Great food but horrible decor. The carpet is sticky and overall in desperate need of renovation.
(3)Ben S.
Decent dim sum, the staples were good (har-gow, shu mai, etc.) but I wasn't crazy about all the pre-made food (chow fun noodles pre-made and put on carts, stir fried vegetables on carts). If you're in the area and are craving dim sum, this place will satisfy you, but that's about it.
(3)Erin P.
Truly outstanding dim sum. I have eaten dim sum all over the DMV, in NYC, and in Hong Kong, and this is some of the best in the US. We got there late, around 1pm, and only waited a few minutes (but we were only 2 so perhaps the wait is longer with a larger group). We called ahead to get a sense of the wait ahead of time - smart move. Everything we had was awesome, with very few exceptions. The half-duck was superb, as was the roast pork and all the porky buns. The abalone dumpling was delicious and unique, and they had some of the best shumai I've ever had. Service was fine, what you'd expect in a busy dim sum restaurant. I will definitely be back!!
(5)Nicole G.
Came here for Saturday morning dim sum on Mother's Day weekend with a group of 6 total. My friend made the reservation for us for 10 a.m. Nothing like waking up, driving half an hour, then stuffing yourself until you can't stuff in any more! We arrived and were greeted right away and lead to our large table. The tables looked close together but we were the second people there and had plenty of room. The carts were still being loaded but we got water and a pot of tea right away. My friend and her mom speak Cantonese so I left the ordering up to them. I don't think I could repeat everything we ordered even if I tried!! SO many dumplings, veggies, noodles, and MEAT MEAT MEAT! Then bring on the tarts and steam buns!! I can't do dim sum a lot because I really have no self control! The waiters weren't pushy at all, just the perfect amount of asking us if we'd like the new dishes that just came out and clearing plates as they became empty. In the end our table racked up a $150 tab but we all ate more than our fill, AND we had a lot of leftovers to take home. We were given takeout containers and plastic bags no problem. And when I asked for some extra custard buns to-go it was no problem to add those in. (And I'm pretty sure the waiter snuck an extra bun in my order!) A bit out of the way for me, but definitely worth the trip!
(4)Carol T.
Ordered take-out. . 1. Fried shrimp balls -great, good size 2. Roasted pork - good as expected with crispy skin 3. Steamed chicken with ginger scallion sauce- RAW!! With about a cup of bloody juices that I had to pour out of the container! OK that alone was upsetting. I salvaged it by cooking it thinking it would still be good. Nope, just plain bland! A huge disappointment. I had many a take-out of steamed chicken in Philly, Maryland, and Va it was never this ghastly raw. Should've taken pics but was too hungry to think about it. Maybe because their specialty is duck that they don't know how to make this classic Chinese dish. Who knew I had to make sure to check that the chicken is fully cooked before leaving the restaurant?? Sorry but the raw food and lack of proper marinating wiped out all stars. I can cook bland chicken at home any time. **I hope that the restaurant will read this and not be so reckless when sending food out..even if it is take-out. This is dangerous to the public.
(1)Ryoko M.
I was visiting DC and decided to have dim sum here, as where we are currently living doesn't have a dim sum joint. Being originally from Vancouver, BC, I have to say that the the dim sum here was average, or sub-par on some items. I can only speak for the dim sum items that I consumed, but overall, it didn't wow me. We had four dim sum dishes - streamed shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), siu mai and deep fried taro dumplings. The one item that I liked was the taro dumplings - it was nicely fried, with a good amount of taro filling in the middle. We enjoyed this most. The siu main was OK, it was not the juicy, moist kind that I've had at other places. The shrimp dim sum dishes were the most disappointing: the shrimp in the shrimp dumplings had a mushy texture that didn't resemble the plump shrimps that were supposed to be in there. The shrimp rolls were lukewarm, even though they had just come out of the kitchen, and the rice roll part was gummy and a strange texture to them, like they had re-steamed it. I wouldn't go back, but then again, I'm sure I am a bit spoiled from the great dim sum that Vancouver offers.
(3)David T.
The place originally sounds and looks a bit sketchy but it is actually a really wonderful place! We stumbled on this place while hanging around Seven Corners and thought hey why not?? Mainly, my fiancee wanted Dim Sum at like 6pm on a Saturday and this place happened to have it. Now when we say Dim Sum, they don't have the rolling carts at this time of day, but the menu items are available to order. We order the standard: sieu mai, ha cao, chicken feet, etc... They were actually not that bad, good flavors and what not. Not the best but not the worst. I ordered a plate of rice and Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and for like $9-10, I was really surprised at the generous portions they brought out. The pork was of course delicious and I was just really happy at the end of it. Good server, quick on his feet, open to suggestions and actually pretty funny!
(4)Jenn M.
Disappointing. Really makes me miss the dim sum places back home in Los Angeles. Nothing compares to good ol' LA dim sum. We came at opening on a Sunday and no wait. It was odd that they were bringing us the dim sum on a tray. They eventually came around with the carts but I just found it odd they were bringing us displays of trays instead of the cart. The duck was decent, typical and not mind blowing. The roasted suckling pig with crispy skin was probably the best thing we had there. Reminds me of lechon (filipino dish). The fried shrimp ball was not good at all. I would avoid it. Shrimp and pork dumplings were decent. The vegetable spring rolls were okay. When I asked for sauce they told me to ask the waiter. I mean, aren't you suppose to have the supplemental condiments with you on your cart?! This is one strange dim sum place. The sticky fried rice was okay. Too sticky for my taste but gotta have my rice with my food. We ended our meal with the fried sesame balls, they were okay. It was greasy and could have stayed in the fryer a little longer, it was a bit light in color but that's minor. Our server was really friendly though. The place is a bit small and dark inside. I don't think I'll be back here.
(2)Marivic L.
I hadn't been to Mark's Duck House in many years, but a friend wanted to try it out again. The place was fairly empty at 7:00. Maybe that's why we got great service? I can't be sure. All I know is, we were greeted well and our glasses were always filled. Throughout, we had the appropriate amount of attention from our lovely server. Now to the food. My friend ordered whole fried shrimp which had great flavor and were cooked perfectly. I probably could have eaten the entire plate of them. We also go the roasted pork. It was good but didn't wow me. It was, after all, just plain roasted pork. We received the sauce to dip it in, and that made it better, but it was still underwhelming. The skin was also not as crispy as it should be. Lastly, we had the Chinese watercress. I love me some Chinese watercress and, while it was still good, I found it a bit overdone. Other places know to keep it nice and "bright" green, rather than cooking it until it was no longer crisp. So, all in all, Mark's Duck House provided me with a good dinner with good service.
(3)Inku T.
I've been dining at Mark's ever since I was in elementary school. I'm not a fan of the old layout, especially the carpeting, but the restaurant is relatively clean. There is ample parking, but once the lunch rush starts, it gets packed so be careful! I usually come here for the dim sum and it never fails me. It's more fun when you go on the weekends when they push their little carts around and you choose which dim sum set you want. I'm not sure if they do that on the weekdays. I've always ordered from the menu Mon-Fri. Their roasted duck and roasted pork are also delicious. My mom used to bring it home all the time when we lived in Arlington. I especially love their banh bao xa xiu (roasted pork bun), but the steamed ones. I think they are the only ones that actually sell them. Anywho, my favorite local (but not really because I drive 45 mins to get here) dim sum place has yet to fail me! (:
(4)Jimmy G.
I got to Mark's Duck House quite early on a Saturday for Dim-Sum. First thing I ordered was the baby roasted pig and the duck and both were decent. The roasted pig, while bursting with flavor, was lukewarm and so the fat had an unpleasant texture. The duck was also kind of lukewarm and only so-so despite the restaurant being called a duck house; I've had better from just my local Cantonese Convenience Store. The dim-sum, however, was the star of the show. There was a large variety and everything was being wheeled around in metal carts. I didn't have a chance to try everything, but I do have to say that the Taro Balls were one of the best items I had from the selection. Overall the dim-sum was good, and if you have a craving for this food it's definitely worth it to drive out to Mark's and get some.
(3)Joe M.
We stopped there for afternoon Dim Sum earlier in April, and were really quite pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Har Gau, excellent. Kuo Teh, while not technically Dim Sum, first rate. We liked the Siu Mai as well. I am a big fan of Jiu Cai Bau, (chive dumplings), and they were wonderful. Cheong Fan with shrimp, excellent. The revelation was a the Lo Baak Gou, (turnip cakes), simply the best we have ever had. The characters for "Dim Sum" mean "Drink Tea" in Mandarin, and we did, the tea was uncommonly fine. We will return, I am sure.
(5)Kim L.
Food was slightly below average, being so greasy. My biggest gripe was the fact that this lady server kept staring at us eat the entire time, no exaggeration!! So uncomfortable. Will not be coming back here.
(2)Min K.
This place has a lot of options for dim sum. Came in around 11:30 on a Sunday and were just able to beat the lunch rush. We were seated right away and immediately afterwards a server came by to get our drink orders. Carts came by often enough to order the tasty dim sum. Everything was delicious! I wish we had come with another person or two just so we could try more dishes. My bf and I could only eat so much. Ha ha. Most of the dishes came in 3's. We got baby pork and it was good but nothing amazing. When we paid our bill the baby pork by itself was $15! Other than that everything else was reasonably priced. We will def be coming back.
(4)Jennifer N.
I used to come here all the time while growing up. It was one of my family's go-to Chinese restaurants. We would enjoy dim sum, dinner, lunch, etc. here. Well, the quality of the food and the service has definitely changed and not for the better. I went here on Mother's Day and it was ridiculously packed. I hadn't been in a while, so I thought...packed = still good eats. WRONG. The one good thing was that we were seated really fast even though it was busy. The service was bad - took forever for the dim sum carts to make its way to our table. The layout of the restaurant is terrible for dim sum. I got up to use the bathroom and was basically stuck for a little in between two tables and two carts -_- yupp, just my luck. Pretty awkward. They didn't offer a lot of dim sum dishes that I'm used to ordering. The food was cold and not impressive. For the price that I paid...it was not worth it at all. To top it off...after I paid with my credit card - I didn't include a tip via card because my uncle left it in cash. The waitress GRABBED my uncle and screamed, " It's Mother's Day and you aren't going to leave me a tip?!?!"...after she had seen the credit card receipt. He gave her a crazy look and pointed to the cash that was left on the table. Never. Ever. Ever. Again.
(1)Jey J.
Hello amazing! Dim sum whenever I want? Yes please! The roasted meats are delicious and so worth the drive.
(5)Daniel T.
I have been going here for years and continue going even after they have changed owners more than once. They have great carry out and authentic Chinese food. This is definitely not a Michelin starred restaurant so do not expect top notch service or cleanliness. They also have some of the best tasting dim sum in the area. They are open pretty late daily and get crowded during dim sum hours on the weekend.
(3)Lucy C.
My favorite restaurant for Dim Sum. Food is well proportioned. I am here atleast once a week for there baked pork buns and steamed dumplings. Reminds me of Chinatown in San Francisco and New York City. Fresh chinese food and dumplings. Owners really nice.
(5)Chris T.
Mark's Duck House was an awesome dim sum place. We went on 11:30 Sunday, and there was no wait. The waiter offered a choice of hot teas very quickly. We had a nice selection of dim sum and a few other non-dumpling dishes. All were delicious except the roast pork was on the non-steaming cart so it wasn't hot, but it was still crispy. Our only regret was not buying roast pork or roast duck before we sat down because when we left there was a line for the roast meats and for large tables.
(4)Samantha B.
I've been coming here as long as I can remember. This is one of the best dim sum place to go to in the NOVA area, IMO. It could get pretty packed during the peak hours when dim sum is being served but thankfully they accept reservations. The service is moderate, attentive but could be somewhat slow. The food is great and always fresh. I love the hargow, fried shrimp ball with a crab claw, steamed chinese broccoli and shumai from the dim sum cart. And we normally always order combination fried rice, wonton noodle soup and stir-fry chinese watercrest with garlic. Never had a bad experience or been disappointed. Prices are fair.
(4)James Y.
"Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again." - Old saying in Texas, probably Tennessee Being an avid dim sum fan, I've been searching for the elusive perfect dim sum place. Although it isn't perfect, the dim sum at Mark's Duck House is decent enough and has been our go to spot for a dim sum fix. Unfortunately, I've experienced unethical behavior several times now and I felt the need to inform others. Like at many dim sum places there isn't a full menu with prices available. This isn't a problem, as it isn't customary for many dim sum restaurants to do so. However, we noticed that the manager will take advantage of this lack of transparency. We noticed on a couple of occasions, that the manager will fudge the prices of the dish if he thinks that he can get away with it. For instance, we ordered 'gao choi gao', which he marked as 4.25 the first time around. When we ordered another order, it was marked as 4.50. When we asked about the correct price, no one could tell us what the correct price is. On a couple of previous occasions, we would be overcharged for one more plate when we had a large to-go order. It is human to make a mistake, so we excused this as an honest mistake, but when it occurred again today, we made a mental note to avoid Mark's Duck from now on. tl;dr Ask and double check the price of each dish on your dish...you may be getting fooled.
(1)Minh D.
One of my family's go to places for dim sum on the area! The staff here is very friendly but at times can be SUPER overwhelming when they swarm you trying to sell you "X" or "Y." The food temperature here is 50-50 -- it's either super hot meaning it's fresh or its cold. The steamed stuff is usually pretty hot though -- it's mostly the fried things and stuff that isn't kept on the gas cart that had that problem. The food is seasoned pretty well for what it's worth. If you're here definitely get the ha gao (it's a shrimp dumpling), the xiu mai (pork dumplings) and the pai gwut (steamed spare ribs.) As for the dishes on their other carts, check out the steamed rice or the taro cakes! The egg tarts and pineapple buns are also the bomb. Overall, this is definitely a place to go if you're looking to get your dim sum fix but keep in mind that your food is either gonna be super fresh and hot or just warm/cold. Prices are pretty good. P.S. Make sure to get some tea with your meal. It'll help wash everything down
(3)Kimberly K.
Growing up in VA, my parents used to bring us here all the time. One of my favorite things at Mark's Duck House is obviously, their duck. It can be on the greasier side but the flavors are all there. This isn't the best duck in the VA area but I still enjoy eating here. Their other dishes are good but I wouldn't say great. Service can be a hit or miss. Sometimes you're warmly greeted and get a great server and sometimes it's a complete miss. Service has improved greatly from past years. I've been here for dinner many times, but a friend suggested we try out their Dim Sum. B and I brought my cousin here. Came super early and found a seat immediately. The only thing about being one of the first customers is that not all their dim sum items were ready at that time. I still suggest coming early, since this pace does get packed but maybe not the very first ones in the door. This way you will have a larger variety of items to choose from as time goes by. We enjoyed ourselves and left more than full! Mark's Duck House is a solid dim sum joint. May I also suggest Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant in Falls Church.
(3)Justine K.
This place definitely has a lot of variety. The dishes come out quickly and there are lots of choices. The food tastes great. My favorite was the taro balls. It has some kind of meat in the middle but I couldn't figure out what kind. My least favorite was the steamed oysters. They were too big and had a metallic taste. Also, unfortunately too pricey. Definitely not worth it for $7 a piece. No wonder the waitress kept pushing it. I didn't have to wait long to get a table. They are pretty efficient at getting you in and out but you feel rushed. 3 Stars for the pricey oysters and feeling rushed. I'm a Marylander so I would rather go to Far East in Rockville where the service is superb and the food is great.
(3)Michelle M.
I'm from California and my Chinese taste buds are pretty much up there. Mark's Duck House actually did a good job-- food is just as good as what I'd find in SoCal. Roast duck is crispy and tasty. Roast pork belly was good, too. Their version of honey walnut shrimp is different -- panko breading-- but still good. The portions are generous and pricing is affordable.
(4)Grace H.
Had a craving for Beijing duck, searched Yelp for a recommendation, this one come up. The review is rather mixed. I decide to just take a dive and go for it. The place is in a small mall in Arlington Boulevard, about 40 minutes drive from downtown DC. The place is small and rather old. Given it's owner is an architect, I guess his heart was not in designing this restaurant. The service is efficient from the serving staff. The food arrived fast for the first course, which is the Beijing Duck. After that, it was a little slow. The duck is not what I used to. In Asia -- in Hong Kong or Beijing. When one order a Beijing Duck, be it a half one, the duck would be craved in front of you. Here I only see the duck meat on the plate. I don't know if the portion was really a half portion. From my experience, it looks more like a quarter plus a bit rather than half. There were only 4 pancake in the basket!!! The taste was ok, since there is the Hoi Sin Sauce as condiments, nothing much can go wrong, some of the skin is a little dry. So the duck for me is only an OK. The other two dishes I ordered is Combo Calamari, Scallop and Shrimps with Spice and Salt, and the Chinese Kale. The Combo Calamari was a bit blend, though it was fried perfectly. The Chinese Kale comes in rather large portion size, but it comes with very little oyster sauce. There are good points, the serving staffs are pleasant. So all in all it is an ok for me.
(3)Vien H.
So my experience was not as good as others. We arrived and waited 10 minutes cause the place was full, no big deal at all. This is totally understandable. Then came the food, you will find that anything on the plates would be mild warm to cold, and stuffs that from the metal trays hot. But what annoy me is how they just mark a line on the order ticket, and they began to screw me up from here. I ordered 2 salsha crabs plate and 1 salt pepper shrimp plate, the respective prices are 14 and 8. And yet they marked 2 line on the shrimp, and 2 on the crabs. So I came to the checkout counter to ask the question why is that... then the lady in charge showed me the ad paper (prob menu, but it look like an ad on the newspaper), pointing to some of the items asking me did I have it. I looked and I said no I didn't. Then they just reduce the price 8 dollars off and say, that fine that fine and charge me 60 dollars less, but what made me pissed off is what she said next. She said may be you are wrong, may be we are wrong, we don't know, then handed me the bill to sign... I feel like I got looked down and they reduced the charge just so I would leave asap. It is not like I dine and dash, I just want a clarification on a stupid arbitrarily bill that they gave me. And they said that pretty loud in front of other customers too... Honestly, worst experience ever.
(2)Heather B.
I used to come here for dim sum. But lately I've been coming here to satisfy my craving for duck noodle soup. Its so good here. I don't think I'd go newhere else for it. Always consistently perfect. I get it with extra chinese broccoli. The boyfriend orders duck and wonton. He tends to eat more than me even though im pregnant and it always fills him up so the portions are a really good size.
(4)Dani P.
It's as though Thai is the new Chinese food in the NoVA/ DC area; it's becoming more and more difficult to find good Chinese food. Mark's Duck House is like the oasis. If you come on a Sunday morning, this place gets packed. It's such an experience to be at a big table with your family or friends, wanting to pick up more items from the cart than you can really eat. They are obviously known for their delicious duck, but my other favorite are the steamed pork buns. I could eat a meal entirely of their pork buns. The best part is that feeding parties of 5 or more isn't that expensive! You'll pay as much for them as you would at a different sit down restaurant for 3. If you come on a weekday night, it'll be less crowded, but sometimes they'll be out of some of their dim sum options. It doesn't always stop me from going :)
(5)Shani L.
Best duck in the area. Yummy BBQ pork buns. Huge portions. Great for carry out. Cons- please update your decor. Green chairs, dim lighting and 1970s tables all should go.
(4)Victoria L.
My absolute favorite place for dim sum! I'd say I come at least 2-3 times a month for the dim sum and have been for several years. I stopped going to Fortune across the street because the food just went downhill. It gets extremely busy on weekends but I will stand there for 45 minutes just to get my favorite taro "footballs" (is what I call them) The food is fresh and it's consistently delicious. The service is awesome, they are really accomodating and get you whatever you need even if you ask for something new every 2 minutes. All you need to know is this place has one of the best dim sum foods in the area! Never disappointing and a must try!!!
(5)Han V.
This place is a great lunch spot but can be very crowded during peak hours--- and reasonably so! Their dim sum items are reasonably priced and even if they don't have the carts going around, you can still order dim sum items in addition to what they have on their menu. From their menu, I like to get their combination meat plate where you get to pick out 2 meats. I highly recommend the roasted pig with crispy skin. The skin is sooo crispy and downright addicting. Their duck is the other meat that I like to order. It is a little oily, but will satisfy a craving and is good to eat with rice. Definitely not the best in my opinion, but decent enough. From their dim sum menu, I like their shrimp dumplings, shumai, lobster dumplings, and spare ribs. Servers here are usually very welcoming and the carts do go around relatively quick. However, the servers may have limited English so be clear when you order or they may slip in a couple of extra dishes that you didn't order! Food: 4 Value: 3.5 Service: 3 Overall: 3.5
(4)Nicole L.
The restaurant had seen its days sometime it doesnt hurt to give it an update. It had a funky smell and looked greasy. The staff was friendly a little over zealous. I ordered the roasted meat platter and congee with beef and squid. The roasted meats were ok they were very meaty and lean. The congee was really good. Half way through I decided to order a stirred fried vegetables. The manager made his occasion rounds to each table to check if everything was ok.
(3)Katherine C.
Disclaimer: I've only had dim sum at Mark's Duck House so I have nothing to compare it to BUT don't disregard this review just yet! I've been here a few times for weekend dim sum and each time, the food has been amazing and very consistent. Service is excellent, even when it's busy (and it gets busy!). Basically, you have a main server who will bring your drinks and anything off the menu to you, but for dim sum, several food runners walk around the restaurant with carts filled to the brim with dumplings of all kinds (please get the fried taro dumpling), sauteed vegetables, pot stickers, ribs, suckling pig, fried chicken feet, fried shrimp (with the heads on, yum!), noodles, etc. The peking duck here is completely fabulous and on our last visit, our server, Linda, expertly wrapped our peking duck for us like a pro! My boyfriend's parents have been to Hong Kong many times and always mention that you could plop Mark's Duck House into Hong Kong and they would be right at home, which is pretty high praise. If you like dim sum (or if you want to try it for the first time), definitely check out Mark's Duck House.
(5)Mari A.
#54 It's been about 9 years since I've lived in an area where good Dim Sum flourished. This was in Northern CA. Then I moved to San Diego,CA for about 9 years and though there were some decent dim sum, nothing compared to the bay. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a Dim Sum place in the area I currently live in now in NoVA, I bookmarked it immediately. Sadly, the experience at Mark's Duck House did not match the little kid enthusiasm that had taken over my body. This wasn't a bad place to get dimsum and actually would CONSIDER coming back to give it a second chance. Overall, the dishes were very dry and left my poor tongue feeling quite unsatisfied and parched. BUT it wasn't a total loss. AND there were a few other items on the cart that looked appetizing, it's just hard to order all this food when there's only the two of us. The GOOD: -Crab claws: meaty and delicious. -Sticky Fried Rice: flavorful and met my expectations. -Eggplant: probably the best thing I had in that whole meal! The BAD: -Tofu: the wrapped tofu was A-okay but was pretty dry. Sad as this is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. -Vegetable Dumpling: not totally a lost cause but tasted pretty bland. The UGLY: -Pork Shumai: Such a basic order!! Alas, it was overly dry and I wanted to cry! -Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed: First timer on this dish! I like seafood. I like seafood. I did NOT like the Seafood Wrapped in Seaweed. -Duck: I believe this was their peking duck.. so sad. So dry. :( Dishes i'd like to come back for in hopes they're as good as my eyes made them look: - Chow Fun - Pork Sparibs. Uggggh.. writing this review made me wish I could teleport back to San Francsico in a heartbeat vs a 5 hour flight over.
(3)Mohammed K.
Met up with some school friends I haven't seen in a long time for a 12:30 lunch. Had to wait a bit for our table but at least it was an organized process with number being called. I would like to echo the yelpers comments about the service, if you're here expecting an attentive team keeping a close eye on you forget it. Its carts with food moving around 30 tables trying to serve everyone. Stick to the DimSum the other dishes were not that great. Maybe I'm just not into Asian restaurants, maybe I've been spoiled. Even though its called Marks duck house the duck was initially served cold to us. I wouldnt go back. I can get the same food at the strip mall next to my house.
(2)h d.
I came here with family. I trusted them. Then the next the morning I was reflecting on my experience and thought "surely Yelpers will tell the truth..." and I have to say, I'm stunned by the positive reviews. Maybe it's because I didn't eat the dim sum. Even Zagat rates this place high. Awful, awful, awful if you want standard "Americanized" dishes, like General Tso or sweet and sour chicken. I know that that's not the point of this place, but we also had some dumplings and spring rolls. Plainly: gross. The spring rolls had stringy, old tasting chicken in it (the server barked at me that they didn't have vegetable spring rolls, "only chicken") and too much of it. The lo mein was really greasy, the duck was tasty but greasy and not well-trimmed at all because I got a huge piece of fat, which was obnoxious considering what I paid for it, the sweet and sour chicken and General Tso was definitely not white meat as they said when we asked... It actually seemed like chicken scrapings almost, like what's left over after you've butchered and trimmed, fried to within an inch of being inedible. Really bad. The restaurant itself was not clean. It didn't appear that they had changed our table cloth between sittings or at all that day. A member of our party had spilled their drink. When we were in front of the place waiting for everyone to gather (it was empty, so we were milling around near some tables - you can see nothing if you're all the way out front), I saw staff bus and reset the table. Ok fine, but I knew there was beverage all over one half of the table cloth. Also, I ate my meal staring across the room at some disgusting fish and lobster (I think) tanks. They looked like they had never been cleaned, and you could see the mold on the black piping servicing each tank. It was overall a disgusting experience. And yeah, this stuff matters to me when I'm not eating out of a truck or in a different country with different expectations... our final bill is over $130.
(1)Eme U.
I didn't eat inside so I can't comment on the restaurant itself, but I did order the food to go and loved what I ordered. For more than a year, I've been looking for dim sum reminiscent of my time in Los Angeles. Since moving from Annandale to Falls Church, I've been seeking some good Hong Kong style food tirelessly, but little did I know this hole in the wall looking place would serve what I needed. I ordered shu mai and steamed shrimp dumplings, and they were glorious. I'll return and give a full review next time. Note: don't go there during lunch time on Sundays because there will be a line.
(4)Laura S.
I've never had the dim sum here but my stomach can definitely say a good word or two about the to-go menu of roasted pork and duck. When you walk in, just go up to the counter w/ the shade half drawn on the right side (you'll see all the delicious roasted meat hanging in the window), say hello and tell them your order. In about 5 min you'll have a ticket to pay with at the register and a to-go meal. Super easy and everyone there is really friendly. I bring it all home and serve it up w/ some freshly made rice from my little zojirushi! All the meats are very moist and well flavored but my absolute favorite is the roast pork b/c it's like lechon (you know what I'm talking about here *queue all my filippino friends*). Super crispy skin and moist flavorful juicy meat.
(5)Donna W.
Excellent and authentic Hong Kong style dim sum. It's very crowded so go early. It's got the hustle and bustle of a typical great Chinese restaurant. Lots of dim sum carts, but some dishes were not available unless yo ordered them, and that would take 15+ mins. Plenty of dishes to choose from to make everyone from the table happy.
(5)Maria-Elena T.
I am a regular here; I love the food. I can't go in without ordering the won ton soup, the shrimp dim sum, and of course, the duck (half order)! This time I ordered the Causeway Bay Dungeness Crab, a chef specialty. It was about 2-2.5 lbs and fresh out of the tank in the back. It was delicious!
(4)Colin C.
I had been here years ago and never had dimsum here before. Heard there are better spots in Maryland but didn't want to go that far. Not to be super pretentious but I like dimsum a lot and have had in Hong Kong, sanfran, Hawaii, and other popular spots in California. This isn't up to those standards but very good for the area. Tons of options, dumpling wise and fried, etc. Prices aren't great but not horrible either. Of course more than regular takeout Chinese but lots more options of course. Service not horrendous and all in all a good experience. Try the dumpling cart the most over the fried one. Some of those can get a big soggy or not as good sitting out. But in general most things are good. The duck was a bit overrated and I've had better sesame balls. Other than that can't complain about anything I tried including the veggies even. Really liked the pancake thing, pork buns, chive fried dumpling, calamari, shrimp steamed dumpling.
(4)A N.
Over the winter of 2015 I developed a dim sum craving and visited many places in DC, MD and NoVA. For my money, Mark's Duck House is the best place for dim sum in the DC area and compares favorably to the best dim sum restaurants in San Francisco and Toronto. Here's why: -Classic, generously portioned Cantonese-style dim sum. -The classic favorites (shu mai, shrimp crepes, pork buns) are supplemented by more unusual and delicious choices: abalone, scallop, and lobster dim sum. These more exotic choices are pricy, but worth the splurge. -Barbecued meats (pork, duck, spareribs) and other entrees supplement the dim sum. Barbecued meats are exceptional here and are available for takeout. -Service is excellent. -Seating is ample. Our best dim sum meal at Mark's was on a Saturday at 2 pm. Availability was somewhat more limited later in the day and a number of the items were served cold (but were promptly reheated.) On weekdays, dim sum are available from a printed menu.
(5)Diana P.
I was too lazy to make the trip into MD for dim sum so we decided to stay local. Because there's really not much options available in NoVA, I gave this a try. I only know of this place because my parents usually come here for the crispy pork when the mood strikes them. The pork was delicious when I was able to try some of my parents' purchases when I visited so I assume the dim sum must be good too. I can say it fulfilled my siu mai, tripe, and dumpling cravings; however, I've had better. The choices are extensive and we didn't try them all so there could be some very good dishes amongst the many decent/okay ones. I would come back due to the proximity of this place to my residence. It gets packed on the weekends so I recommend coming early to beat the crowds.
(3)Gloria W.
It's a good dim sum restaurant. The roasted pork, shrimp dumplings, and chicken feet taste good. But it will be better if more kinds of dim sum are available.
(5)Rusia L.
Mark's Duck House. Yes, duck. For many that alone is enough to say no thank you. But for all those duck fans out there, the roast duck is extraordinary. The menu is a typical Cantonese menu with, in my opinion, a great seafood selection. The noodle dishes are yummy as well. The service in the restaurant is sufficient but the ambiance is a bit lacking. The lighting is a bit dim for my taste, and there are usually workers running around or preparing ingredients in the dining area which can be a major turn-off for some people.
(3)Ning Z.
After living 5 minutes away from this place for almost a year, we finally made a trip to it this Sunday for dim sum. They open at 10am and knowing how dim sum lines can be at other places, we got there at 10:05am. We were also super hungry. Note to the zealous though, do not go there that early. They will NOT be ready with food. We were seated immediately and a waiter asked us our tea preference and brought that out quickly, but the food? Not so much. They were still getting ready and they only had a cart full of bread rolls. Then, a few minutes later, one of the waitresses brought a plate of roast baby pork. Being hungry, of course we said yes, but later, at the end, I found out that pork was $14.95. It wasn't even a big portion. It was bigger than a regular dim sum portion in that it had about 6-7 pieces, but for $14.95 I expect a whole plate, not one of those tiny ones that's about appetizer size. Granted I feel tricked that they did that - opening early with no food ready and then tempt you with the roast pork since there's nothing else!! Gah!! Just beware! The pork was definitely not worth $14.95! I could've gotten 4 other items with that!! Other than that initial hiccup, once the food started coming, everything was great. We enjoyed everything we had - shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, bbq pork bun, pork ribs, etcs. Although I have to say that I like the food from China Garden in Rosslyn just a bit more, but not enough that I would prefer one over the other. But since it's a smaller restaurant the carts come around a lot quicker. The service was great, especially compared with China Garden where you're pretty much ignored the entire time until your check. Other than the carts moving around, there're plenty of waiters standing around that you can always wave to your table and ask for some specific item if you didn't want to wait for that cart to come around. I spilled the spicy chilly sauce all over the table and they cleaned it up quickly and brought out more napkins. Overall, I had a good experience here. It's 5 minutes away from my apartment, so yeah, I'm definitely coming back here whenever that dim sum craving hits!
(3)Chris C.
My rating in the Nova area, not including DC: #1 Lotus Garden in Vienna, #2 Hong Kong Pearl, #3 Marks Duck house, I haven't tried too many other places so what I'm trying to say is MDH is last on my list. Marks Duck House is really not that impressive, their duck is dry and bland as well as their roasted pig. It appears kind of dirty in there which I wouldn't care about if the food was good. Really unimpressive food.
(2)Julia N.
This might sound crazy but I was craving Chinese food (insider). So that brought us here. I'm not surprised about this Chinese place being just alright. Wasn't expecting anything more than that. Service was okay. Our waiter seemed to beat around the bushes when we asked him questions about the menu though.. We were asked at least 3 times if our food was okay. Although that shows good attentiveness, it was a little too much in my opinion. Food was typical. I'd have to say the whole fish was disappointing as heck. The black bean sauce could have been mistaken for water and the whole tilapia could have lived in a gold fish tank. It was that small. Yet we paid $20+ for it when we can get a much bigger whole steamed fish with an actual black bean sauce for cheaper elsewhere. Everything else we ate is not even worth mentioning. Hopefully their dimsum is better though. Not a bad place but I wouldn't waste too much of my money here.
(3)Joseph B.
I came here with family for lunch. Food was average and then towards the end of the meal we found a roach crawling around the table. There are serious cleanliness issues with this place.
(2)Amanda M.
Stopped in with two other friends on New Year's day around 1:30 in the afternoon. Since it was a holiday there were serving dim sum and the place was packed. One tip, if you are willing to share a table, you may get seated more quickly as the middle of the restaurant is full of large round tables and they don't always have parties large enough to fill the entire table. We decided not to share and as a result waited about ten minutes longer than we would have. There was a number system going on which helped to make the wait go more quickly, however, I'm glad I was standing next to the hostess and noticed that she crossed off our number without calling it off. I pointed it out to her and she seated us right away. Even though we were seated around 2PM, the carts were full and service was quick. Between the three of us we had at least 9 different dishes: Pan-fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - one of my favorites - a bit crispy yet soft and well seasoned. Fried Shrimp Balls - the inside of ball is essentially a shrimp paste, not my favorite dish. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - meets the expectations. Stuffed Crab Claw Balls - really large fried circular option with a crab claw sticking out, no one was impressed. Salt-fried Head-on Shrimp with Garlic and Chili Pepper - always a crowd pleaser. Roast Suckling Pig with Crispy Skin - savory and tender. Har Gao - steamed shrimp dumplings - met expectations. Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves - sticky, savory and met expect ions. The surprise hit was the Fried Pork and Shrimp Turnover - served in little paper cups that look like cupcake wrappers, three to an order. Fried and salty but filled with a rice mixture that was slightly sweet and reminded me of mochi in texture. The middle was a filling of shrimp, pork, and what tasted like mushrooms. I would order these and the chive dumplings any day. Overall, solid place for dim sum. Water glasses were constantly refilled as was our hot tea. I'll be back.
(4)Ihita K.
Some Sundays, I wake up and need a change from the bottomless brunches & eggs bennies (mmmm, the ones with poached salmon, but I digress). Enter soul food - asian style, aka dim sum. I had never checked out this restaurant before since I live across the street from the *best* dim sum restaurant ever (Oriental East, obvi), but I'm always up for checking out new foodie spots. Our group of friends (4 for the party) arrived around 11 am and we surprisingly didn't have a wait - which is apparently not normally the case, so try to plan your visit to be either early in the morning or later in the afternoon (1 pm ish) to avoid long wait times. We ordered a variety of dishes - steamed bok choy, roast duck, ribs, shrimp dumplings (2 different kinds), mussels, and finished with sesame balls. The food was good but nothing to write home about .. but at the same time, nothing was bad. The dumplings were standard, the mussels dish was a new one for me (and I would definitely get it again), the duck was yummy but also a tad too fatty, and the sesame balls were not the best that I've ever had. However, I will say the ribs were exceptional - as in I'm still thinking about them a whole 8 hours later. All in all - I think this place deserves a solid 3 - it's not bad, it's not great, but if you're close to the location, I would give it a try for dim sum should you have the hankering.
(3)Sumo Y.
I've been here more then 20 times.. love this place to death.. orange beef is my favorite here, with the combination fried rice..They're roast duck is great its greasy as usual..
(5)Noel L.
The duck was quite greasy.... Few chooses for dim sum... However, the service was nice tho
(2)Tiffany L.
Dim sum and roast pork here is the best you can get in Virginia. I've tried all the good dim sum around here and this is the best and freshest. Shrimp noodles, hacao (spelling?) and the others are delicious. I also always get cha cuc (tea) with my meal. My family orders whole roast pig and pork buns for parties and they're on point. Marks Duck House is the closest you'll get to Chinatown, NY dim sum. (Spelling is Viet and may be wrong...oops.)
(5)Yuyu S.
Siamese Sunday is incomplete without dim sum and Superbowl Sunday seemed liked the perfect day to avoid long lines and large crowds. Going with my group of friends, we prayed that everyone was too busy day drinking to go to dim sum - well Jeebus heard our prayers and answered. I'd heard wonderful things about Mark's Duck House and wanted to give it a shot despite my skepticism towards dim sum in Virginia (c'mon, everyone knows Maryland is where it's at). Well, apparently the skepticism was not completely uncalled for because I was neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed - I was simply 'whelmed'. The establishment has an immediate feel of authenticity as my one companion was taken back by the various hanging meats in the window. We ordered the rice crepes, taro balls, taro cake, baby pig, bok choy, shumai, potsickers, pork buns and the milk buns/custard tarts for dessert. Nothing was exceptionally great and it felt both oily and lacking in freshness. There were also tons of carts going around but it was all generally the same items, there didn't seem to be much variety. All in all, the prices were fair and it's a solid establishment to go to if you're looking for dim sum in the Virginia area. I regret nothing.
(3)Jen F.
I had high expectations for Mark's Duck house and sadly, it was a disappointment. We came here strictly for the Dim Sum and they seemed to have nothing left on the menu! Did you not restock your kitchen? What is up with that? The best dish was BY FAR the Mango pudding, which wouldn't be enough for me to come back to this establishment.
(2)Michelle D.
I recommend this restaurant if you want to eat dim sum because I liked the experience of picking dim sum from the cart. If you like tea, I recommend drinking Chrysanthemum tea and letting the tea bag soak for a few minutes. Then if you want it sweet, gradually add a spoonful of sugar cubes to it. I added 3 spoonfuls to our teapot. If you are unfamiliar with dim sum, I recommend ordering a couple of different plates of dim sum before 2pm on the weekends. I went on a Saturday and the restaurant stopped serving dim sum on the cart so I wasn't able to see what the food looked like. I like picking from the cart because I could point and ask what ingredients were inside. Otherwise you may make the mistake we did on our first visit which was to order chicken feet:)
(4)Christy L.
Good won ton soup if a bit salty. Spring rolls fried hot and including meat which surprised us. Glad we came in for some comfort food.
(4)Eric N.
I absolutely love the rice porridge with pork and extra preserved duck egg. It is my favorite dish here. I know it's so easy and simple, but they get it right here. Don't forget the fried bread stick. The sauteed chives and organs are delicious with rice too. Their mapo tofu is great with rice as well. Dim sum is sub par to me though.
(4)Marada C.
Delicious but make sure not to come here if you're on a budget, unless you're super disciplined! The food here is delicious and very mixed. You have you're typical "Americanese" food, which I've never tried because WHY?! But their Chinese BBQ (we're talking roasted duck, soy sauce chicken, roast pig with crispy skin, BBQ roast pork, etc) pit is phenomenal! Just writing this post makes my mouth salivate. The prices are pretty consistent with the area. Make sure you let them know if you want your meats warmed up, cause they serve them room temperature on purpose to not over dry the meat. Even their menu is delicious, dim sum and all. I consistent spend $30+ or more here when I come for 1 person (usually, there are left overs... usually). The food is delicious and the staff if pretty friendly as well! The prices for the menu tend to be a bit on the higher side as well, but the food quality is delicious so I can't complain.
(4)Rich K.
The place inside is old and drab.Nothing much for ambience. I don't eat ambience, do you? We ordered crispy quail and shrimp dumplings all tasty and excellent. Then roast duck on rice and moo shu pork.The duck roasted perfect with hints of five spice and soy glaze.The pork with vegetables came piping hot and perfectly seasoned. I commend the chef for not drowning the pork in sauce.Absoultely the best Chinese food in northern Virginia hands down!
(4)Billy E.
I don't know enough to really judge the quality of dim sum versus other restaurants in the area, but as a casual fan of dim sum I can say I enjoyed Mark's. Everything we got was interesting and tasty, even though most of the time we couldn't immediately tell what it was. Service was very good and you can start eating almost as you sit down. I would definitely come here again.
(4)Tim H.
Went on a Sunday morning for dim sum. Most of it was excellent and the service was good. Got to the end to find out the little pork dish we got was $14.95! For maybe a 1/4 lb of pork max! Completely absurd and killed the experience. It was marked on the paper where there was no price - just Chinese characters. If you go and they mark there, beware.
(2)Mina C.
Dim Sum Review- I would just say its okay. Its closer to where I am most weekends, and I can go to eden afterwards so I don't mind going to this place. It isn't the best, but it isn't the worst. my preference is oriental east, but that's in downtown silver spring, quite a hike. I like the variety, but sometimes items are cold and rubbery. the people pushing the carts can also be very demanding and persistent.
(3)Trinh T.
Our go to for dim sum when my family comes to town! The suckling pig (baby pig) is the best in the area. It gets quite crowded during the weekend peak hours but worth the wait if you craving some dim sum!
(4)Wesley Y.
Came here on a Sunday at around 4:30. my gf and I were having a lazy Sunday so we missed the usual dim sum hours. The paper dim sum menu prices are INCORRECT. DISREGARD. PAPER. DIM. SUM. PRICES. I ordered a lot more dim sum items then I should have because it was so "CHEAP" only to find out it really wasn't. I think Mark came up to our table to ask how we were doing after hearing the argument that happened ..... While we were waiting for our half peiking duck there was a lot of commotion in the kitchen 2 guys arguing in Cantonese and it was a very heated argument. After a good 10 minutes of shouting and the servers trying to calm the kitchen down a very pissed off looking chinese man came out of the kitchen and sat down at a table. I was hoping a fight would ensue in the kitchen =.=. The dimsum items were all tasty, but not after finding out the prices were changed. They do serve dimsum all day. Can't compare this to New Yorks cheap dim sum spots but it'll do for now. The peiking duck was really good, the server actually rolls your first wrap for you. I would rather wrap it myself but whatever. They show off how pro they are at using 3 spoons!
(3)Chanel D.
This was my first foray into the world of legitimate dimsum. (Sorry, place that rhymes with Bing Bong.) First, let me say, hooray for the prices. Awesome! We ate like royalty and weren't paupers after the check arrived. I went with a friend who knows his way around the menu and what to expect at a place like this. I don't remember everything we ate because it was a blur of dishes selected from push carts. The crispy duck and vegetable dumplings both stand out in mind. My only ding is that some of the noodle dishes that should have been hot were room temperature. So, that was a little off putting. Make sure that you get there earlier on the weekend because this place can get really busy with the line out the door. So, if they catch you lingering after you've paid the bill, you will definitely get the stank eye. I will definitely go back! Worth a try.
(3)Clara L.
A decent option for dim sum at Mark's. I will have to say, the variety is not plentiful, but each option is pretty solid. Due to the way they serve the food, some of the dim sum can get a little cold by the time it gets to your table. They should invest in more heated or covered carts. It is not overly pricey, so you can get a good meal without breaking the bank.
(3)Srta L.
It was all delish. We went there on Saturday morning and let me tell you one of the best DimSums I had in a long time. Service is great as well. I think it was a little overpriced we were 3 adults and 1 kid and the total including tips and taxes $75
(5)Michael L.
I could not believe how delicious the Peking duck was. I have eaten it in Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver and been delighted. This was better. The Chinese broccoli with garlic was masterfully prepared. The tofu with chili and spring onion was unimpressive.
(4)AL K.
Review is primarily for the dimsum. We walked in and was warmly greeted in Thai. The wait staff assumed that we were. why? Anyway we were promptly seated and the carts (2) started to roll by. This cart guy was aggressively suggesting on what to put down on our table. He had the the steamed rolls so we ordered a couple and refused some. The next cart was all the fried stuffs which didn't interest us. Limited choices. We ordered young chow on the side to compliment with all the food we ordered. Water glasses were routinely filled and dishes were cleared accordingly. I would have to say that service during this visit was great!! The carpet is nasty and management has to seriously consider changing it.
(3)Cindy L.
OMG. I was deathly ill after I ate here. I've been here a couple of times but I may never go back from sheer fear. I usually come in for dim sum but this night...THIS NIGHT...it was dinner. It wasn't the FOOD that made me sick...my roomey had the same and she was fine but I didn't like the food that much either...so what do you do when it's bland? You turn to those ever trusty little jars of spices on your table that are available at every Asian establishment. IT WAS THEM. THE CONDIMENTS. Who knows how long or what was in those little dispensers of pain and SUFFERING sitting on the table, waiting, biding their time for their victim. Non-stop barfing for almost 2 days...the suffering was unimaginable. I didn't know myself after those 2 days.
(1)Jasmine H.
This place is great. I grew up in Hong Kong and this place is the closest to Cantonese food that I have found anywhere in northern Virginia. The dim sum menu is extensive and they also offer a lot of rare stuff like jellyfish, duck tongue, intestine, those sort of things. Their noodle dishes are also really good. Wonton mein is the best in the area. The beef tendon ho fun is also delish. Best in the area. Speaking of which, their tendon casserole is really good too. It comes out on a heated bowl and is sizzling when it is served. Can't rave enough about this place. Yes, sometimes service sucks when they are busy but they have the best intentions. Example: today I went to get some duck to go and asked for two whole roast ducks, chopped. Normally they will give me literally a whole duck chopped, with all the meaty parts AND all the boney parts. But this time they gave me 4 quarters of just meat. No head bones or useless pieces with no meat. I waited a little longer than usual too, so they gave me some tea while I waited and was very polite. Even after my food was ready they told me not to rush and to sit and enjoy my tea before I leave. Nice service.
(5)Katie H.
This place is under new management, the food serve cold and over cooked. So disappointed, cause it's used to be my favorite place to go for dimsum.
(1)Kimberly S.
This review is about Mark's Duck House's crispy suckling pig only. My folks live in Falls Church so they are frequently gallivanting all around Eden Center and surrounding shopping centers in search of quick, delicious food. One of their best finds is the roasted pork (or as my Filipino mom calls it "lechon") at Mark's Duck House. Mark's Duck House sells a superior pork product from other Chinese BBQ joints because it is not too salty or greasy, has a perfect fat to meat ratio, and the skin retains its crispy texture even a day after and re-heated! Pick a few pounds up the next time you are heading out to a potluck or family party for a definite crowd pleaser!
(5)Alida H.
You can usually find me here on Sunday during brunch/lunch hours with my family devouring their delicious dim sum appetizers. I've been to a handful of dim sum places in the DC metro area (fortune, lucky 7, china garden, etc.), and this trumps them all by far. Although it is a bit more expensive than its competitors, its worth every penny. The service could be improved, but the dim sum makes up for it, so that component doesn't even matter. I love their shrimp crepes, shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls and fried taro! Although it can get very busy, it is well worth both the wait and drive to falls church.
(4)Ai C.
This is my favorite local dim sum place. Its usually busy on the weekends between 11-2, so arrive early. 4-5 carts are constantly going around, so you don't wait much. If the dish is cold, they can heat it up for you. Its a moderately priced place, so expect to pay around $50 for 2 people.
(4)Nana G.
I'll start out by saying that I came here on a birthday lunch for a friend, and one of the hosts basically controlled all the ordering and what not, so keep that in mind when reading my review. First of all, this place is CROWDED on sunday noontime, when we came. We got a reservation but there was a lot of people waiting around by the doors, and every table was full. Said tables in the center of the restaurant floor are incredibly close together and people trying to migrate around them and the dim sum carts coming around makes for a little bit of chaos. I found the chairs around one of the large round tables that I sat at to be far too close to ones at other tables. I was a fan of the rotating thing in the center, really helped us share our multiple dim sum dishes around. The decorations and look of this place are nothing special, very typical local Chinese restaurant. As far as the food itself, the host ordered a bunch of options for us (I did not see the menu or pay so I can't comment on prices). We had some sort of shrimp and lobster dumpling which was pretty good, I really liked the vegetable lo mien. We also had some sort of shrimp dumplings that I didn't like at all, they were very soggy and fell apart easily, the dumpling shell part had a sort of squishy feeling to them and I wasn't a fan of the taste at all. Again, like other people have said, the food wasn't hot as it was being toted around on the carts. I didn't get asked once the whole meal if I wanted a drink by a server, maybe this was just because of my host. We all got waters halfway through the meal. Like other have said, don't expect an attentive server constantly, there's just carts going around. It's loud inside and it was hard to communicate across the table and restaurant. I didn't find the place relaxing due to the loud nature and the people constantly moving around. I suspect the side booths are more comfortable. I had a nice time at my friends party, so I am probably letting this place off easy. It seemed like a popular place despite the Seven Corners Strip Mall location, judging by the crowdedness.
(2)Julie M.
No. I mean...no. I'd heard good things about the dim sum here, and I'm always happy to find a place with tasty dim sum, but this was not it. The har gau (shrimp dumplings) had a poor shrimp-to-filler ratio and the wrapper was way too thick and slightly undercooked -- proper har gau wrapping is just thin enough to comfortably hold everything together without overshadowing the filling. The jellyfish was underseasoned; it was so bland that I ate less than half and didn't bother to take the rest home (which I NEVER do! One of my most Asian traits is that I hate wasting food). The fried noodles with beef were even more tasteless than the jellyfish. It was clear that the only seasoning used was soy sauce, and I only knew that because the noodles were brown -- there certainly wasn't any soy flavor. And I haven't even gotten to the price yet! Look, I try not to write bad reviews unless the food or service was egregiously awful. But this is an overpriced restaurant resting on the laurels of good WaPo and Zagat reviews from years ago. It doesn't deserve its good reputation. Save your money -- most of their non-dim sum dishes are half the price and taste better at Miu Kee down the road. And the best har gau and xiu mai in Northern Virginia is in the back cafeteria of Great Wall, the Chinese supermarket in Merrifield. You're welcome.
(1)Bo J.
My husband and I have been regulars at this restaurant for about 12 years now. The food here is always so good. We leave every meal fully satisfied and stuffed. One of our favorite dishes is lobster or dungeness crab in a ginger scallion sauce or Cantonese style. Both are delicious. We also love their Peking duck, we think the best in the area (better than Peking Gourmet and Duck Chang's), the noodle soups (our favorite is the shrimp wonton noodle soup), fried shrimp with head on, fried Chilean sea bass, and fried soft shell crab. The pork chops are another favorite. Their vegetables are always great like pea shoot leaves and sugar snap peas in garlic sauce. When available, they also have a razor clam dish in black bean sauce which is delicious. There is also a server we have been going to for many years named May. She's wonderful and will take good care of you.
(4)Karlo S.
Come for THE DUCK Stay for THE DIMSUM Yes, it's a duck house. And they do the bird some justice here. It's juicy and very tasty. But I personally come here because it offers by far the best dim sum in the area. You get all the regulars like shumai and hargow but also get some of the favorites you don't always get everywhere like crab-claw shrimp balls and pork/taro dumplings. Weekend dimsum brunch can make you feel like you're in NYC Chinatown, but it's worth the wait every time. Dimsum starts at 10am, which is probably the best time to go. Anytime after 11am may cause you to wait anywhere from 15-45 minutes (depending on how big your party is). Most, if not your entire party should be there otherwise they won't seat you. Though the traditional dimsum on carts are only available during lunch time, you can order any dimsum item through their a-la-carte menu. For non-dimsum food, I've only ordered from the menu a couple of times but the food is tasty and the portions are good. Definitely one of my favorite spots to eat!
(5)Maricar V.
there are two reasons why we come here... one: the crispy skin chicken with crispy garlic (drool!!!) and two: the sweet tofu (yummy!!).... we order it every time, without fail! there are plenty of other dishes - their menu reads like a book... besides the crispy chicken, we ordered: crispy pork chop (well seasoned and good!), pork fried rice, steamed spare ribs, shumai, seafood pan fried noodles, and chinese watercress with shrimp paste (or kangkong and bagong to us filipinos!).... heres a tip -- for you to order good shumai and sweet tofu, get there early. they often run out of sweet tofu and they only make one batch! the best part of our meal was actually our server -- her name was linda and she was the best ever! totally surprised us with being so great, friendly, attentive, and just on point! we had a big group and i know how frustrating that can be... but not to linda, she took good care of us! i would definitely recommend marks duck house... be warned though, when you eat here, you come out of there smelling like chinese food, so leave your coat in the car and be prepared to wash your hair when you get home...but for the crispy chicken and sweet tofu its worth it!
(3)Le L.
My boyfriend and I decided to come to this place for their saturday dim sum. I was very surprise that the place wasn't busy and we didn't wait for more than 5 minutes. This is very unusual for a saturday afternoon. After we seated, the servers were nicely ask what we want to drink and eat. The tea was okay and some of the food weren't hot enough. I didn't like when my dim sum isn't hot, that was a negative sign why there were barely anyone there. Every time we eat, one of the server just keep coming back and reached his hand to my plate and pick up stuffs when I clearly didn't say I was done, he didn't even ask anything before he could take my plate. The visit was not very pleasant to me and I will least likely return to this place for dim sum.
(3)Michael D.
Good dim sum. I live in MD, and there are places in Rockville or Silver Spring which are as good or better. I won't be going back, but if you live nearby, then it may be a fine choice. A few caveats: It's not a huge restaurant, so at around 1pm on a Saturday, they were pretty full, but several of the dishes had circulated a few times, and were cold. Prices are reasonable, but they hustled us to buy some suckling pig, without disclosing the price. Virtually all dishes cost between $4-8, but the pig was $15 for 8 little strips of meat.
(4)Sasha C.
stayed around the area and looked for good dimsum. it was a tossup between this or pearl's seafood. we took a crap shoot and came here for sunday dimsum. got here early enough and didn't have to wait. the reviews are right in the sense that they do need some updating. but it was clean and service was quick. the min you sit down, the cart comes rolling by. we tried the fried salt n pepper shrimps (yum), spare ribs (yum but missing a bit of garlic), phoenix claws (yum but it was rather cold), shumai (just ok), ha gow (a bit on the mushy side.. oversteamed perhaps), crispy baby pig (so good but so pricey). everything was just a ok. nothing was SO good but it was decent enough to fulfill a craving while spending a weekend in DC. i do wish we tried the duck since they're called a duck house but we just couldn't fit it in our stomach.
(3)Alan Y.
Mark's is the epitome of solid dim sum at a reasonable price. Try all of their various steamed dumpling dishes and the beef tendon (or stomach), but don't forget to leave some room for one of their to-die-for egg custard tarts! -_-
(4)Meredith H.
Dependable place for above average dim sum. I've been here 4 times already, and have enjoyed all of the dishes I've eaten so far. Fried Taro, Bok Choy, and Radish Cake are definitely favorites at our table, as well as Pork Buns, Stuffed Eggplant, and Ginger Tofu (served at the end...if you can get it!). Service isn't bad, and I understand just how hard it can be to be attentive to all tables when the restaurant is packed and crowded. Although I enjoy coming when it's busy, as I can see what's on the carts as they're being wheeled around, I would suggest coming during a NON-peak hour (without the carts) after you have discovered what you like. The dishes on the carts can be hit or miss regarding temperature - stone cold Bok Choy isn't all that pleasant. However, if you come when it's dead, and order off the menu, all the food comes out hot and fresh. Also, be sure you save room (and ask for) the ginger tofu. SO DELICIOUS. I've also experienced the oddity of dishes being more expensive than listed on the menu - the next time I go, I'm going to confirm the prices on the menu with the waitress. A couple times, we've ended up paying more than what we would have if the prices on the menu were true. Again, this place is good for above average dim sum - with some tweaking and some precision, I think it could be even better!
(3)Weixuan F.
Good Cantonese restaurant in VA. I tried to order the wonton noodles with pork but they served the wonton noodles with duck. Anyway, it was very yummy. The baked duck on the top of the noodles soup had very crispy skin and tasty duck meat. Love it.
(4)Jen A.
I love this place! It's set the bar so high that I don't know if I could eat dim sum elsewhere. I recommend going early - the food is hotter, the options are more plentiful, and the egg custards are still available...yum! There's usually a wait and that's a good sign! Yes, the ambiance is drab but who cares because the food is fantastic!
(5)Rebecca S.
We went for dim sum a few weeks ago, and I could safely say that I wouldn't go back again. Approximately half the items served to us were cold, and they went and heated them back up in the microwave. If you do decide to go, make sure choose items that are with like items on the carts, instead of pulling something that's with a bunch of different items. They seem to just cart the cold rejects together over and over again.
(2)Ellie L.
Dim sum was mediocre. Some foods we picked were dry and cold. I had better dim sum that are cheaper.
(2)Alexis S.
this review is for the shrimp dumplings. there's pretty much nothing else to say except that they are my crack. i love them! i order way too much of it when i go - and they know when i come in that's what i want! :) haha
(4)Amanda G.
My opinion on the food has not changed (STILL 5 STARS FOR THE DUCK!!!) but I had to write about this one incident a couple visits ago...people need to be aware of the outside of this place. This incident I am referring to happened towards the end of the summer, I came here with my boyfriend, his sister & her fiance. We were almost robbed/killed upon leaving. This is NOT an exaggeration. There were 2 hooded males lurking around the posts, and once they saw us females come out they immediately got behind us until they realized we had men with us and then they pulled back but hung out just feet away from us and watched intently while we got our jeep ready to go. The one closest to us was pretending to be talking on his cell phone but we could plainly see it was the main screen and that he was not on a call. His friend was lurking at the other end of the walkway watching us. The minute we climbed into the jeep they started coming toward us, and luckily my boyfriend believes in being armed at all times, so he turned around and showed him a peek of his gun belt and the two men immediately stopped and signaled to each other and ran away. I'm too scared to come back when it is not light outside anymore or without someone armed. This location is too bad, and I hope to god Marks can move somewhere a little less frightening so that I can enjoy the best duck I ever had without having to wonder if I might get killed when leaving.
(1)Jinna C.
I've only been here for the dim sum and never had a regular meal here. It's a hit or miss with this place. The wait is also sporadic. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes for a table, other times you dont wait. So the ambiance is just like any other Chinese place - bare bones tables, sauces, and vinyl seats. Once, my friend broke her plastic chopstick - I didn't even know that was possible. You have to be aggressive with the waiters and tell them what you want if you see something you want go by. The food on the carts sometimes are cold, and some weeks they lack variety. When its busy though, the food is hot and fresh. I especially enjoy the chicken egg rolls which have just chicken meat in them without any random fillers which is nice.
(3)Stephanie N.
The dim sum here is basic. Staff are not very attentive nor friendly. They will only come if you call them or on rare occasions that they come to refill your drink. One big thing is that while eating I saw a server KILL a COCKROACH and acted as if it was nothing! I was absolutely disgusted and I just don't feel safe eating their food. I will not be coming here again.
(1)Jessica N.
I love marks duck house! Their food is sooooo good & the price is reasonable and the owner is incredibly nice and the servers are nice too. If you havent tried their dim sum you're missing out big time.
(5)Michelle N.
This is one of my absolute favorite places for dim sum. Warning: come here as early as possible. This place will get crowded with long waits. Other than that, Mark's Duck House is a great place to order roast duck, chicken, or pig to go. They have them hanging up in the front and you can order them to be cut up to go. They also have a really extensive menu if you're dining here for dinner. Check out the peking duck - it's pricey but oh so delicious and crisp. Service is a bit spotty depending on who you get. The place is almost always full which is a good sign of how delicious their food is. The tables are very close so be careful not to scoot your chair back and hit another person.
(5)Wesley C.
Really good dim sum. My in-laws and brother-in-law's family live in the Chantilly area and we come here pretty much every time we visit them. It is consistently very good and consistently PACKED. You MUST GO EARLY. I have to say, I think they have some of the best baked bbq pork buns around. They're small, but the bread is good, and the filling is awesome. Plus, the glaze that they have on top of the bun is just like icing on top of a cupcake. It's unfortunately not the cheapest dim sum, but I guess when you're in Chantilly, you may have to expect that this ain't no chinatown. I look forward to coming back many more times in the future. And just a note, if you really like chicken feet, AKA, phoenix claw, they are REALLY GOOD here.
(4)Hunter Z.
Personal favorite. Authentic Cantonese restaurant comparable to Hong Kong Pearl. Must try their oyster - they are huge!!! Try both garlic and soybean sauce flavors.
(4)Ella C.
nice place fund to go
(5)Lhynette C. A.
We went here for the Dim sum on Sunday for lunch. The selection was meh, and the food wasn't THAT fresh. It is always a challenge for dim sum places to keep their food fresh while carting all over the restaurant. My favorite go to at dim sum is the chicken feet...and i must say, it wasn't bad, but I've definitely had better. I don't think i'd go back here..at least not for dim sum.
(2)Elaine A.
Terrible!!!!!!! Ordered salt and pepper squid to go....awful....mixed good squid with retried ones.....hard as a rock!!!!! Terrible....paid 14 bucks !!!!!'n never again!!!!! Aweful!!!!!!!!
(1)Kat M.
Would I go back? Only when I'm really really really craving dim sum. Which may be every few months. I'm from the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, so I'm spoiled when it comes to good and cheap Asian food. I know it's not fair to compare. But Mark's Duck House isn't too shabby. Staff is pretty nice, and the price is right. Major downside is that several of the dishes were served cold...when they weren't supposed to be. But I'm all about getting served food as soon as I sit down. Perhaps the best choice for dim sum in the DMV area...but it won't warrant a 4 or 5 stars for me. Don't expect anything fancy.
(3)Ajit D.
The food is mostly alright and the service is fast. This is probably the place you want to go to if you like traditional dim sum and know what you're doing in a legit Chinese restaurant. However, I didn't particularly like the service and I prefer fusion style (non traditional) dim sum like Ping Pong. When the lady with the cart rolled around, I asked how much a plate of oysters were. They looked good, but expensive. She said $7, so I thought I'd try them at that price. They were terrible. I really couldn't eat them. When the bill rolled around, it turned out they were $7 each, so $21 for the plate. The price made sense, but it wasn't clear at all. The woman either didn't understand my question or lied about the price. I definitely didn't hear her ask how many I wanted. I mentioned this to the guy who brought the bill and he very much didn't give a shit. So, it turned out to be a pretty expensive meal for something that gave me a terrible stomach ache for hours. Overall, most of the food was alright, but not piping hot (it was noon on Saturday, so I expect piping hot). Stick to what you know when you're ordering and you should be alright. Will I go back? Yes - but only because my Chinese friends and my mom like it.
(2)Elizabeth B.
I've been coming here for 20 years. In the last five years, they fixed the place up. Great! Then, they jacked up their prices. Like, double what they used to be. Not great. Now, there's a loud noise from the heating system that makes me lose my appetite. Time to find a new favorite Chinese restaurant!
(1)Elvis L.
Grew up coming to this place. The dim sum here has been constantly good. But they really need to expand on the restaurant. Pros: Dim Sun is good Hot entrees is good Cons: Seating Could use a bit of remodeling Messy Restaurant is too small
(3)Sarah C.
3.5 stars I'm not a foodie....just hungry so it took me forever to try this spot. The better half and I decided to trek over to this area since I had a whole day with him *yay*. Even though it was packed they had plenty of tables for smaller groups like us - the larger groups though had a different experience. This is my first dim sum experience with him. I'm not a dim sum type but this may change. I tried to take as much food porn as possible but sometimes the dish was gulped away before I trigger my phone. Am I being too commercial in saying that I liked the fried shrimp balls? A bit salty but still memorable and pretty too (pretty in my mowf ^_^). I haven't met a shrimp and pork dumpling that I don't like. If you mess that up then... Roast pork noodle crepe??? Right here. Shrimp noodle crepe? Just gimme the skrimps. And where's da fried sesame ball *with fork and chopsticks clinched* I don't like sweet entrees so the roast pork bun was a pass. I couldn't even bite through the shrimp dumplings...too cellophaney if that's a word. Too late it is now. Let's just say HE ate the roast duck. The grassy looking thing later helped the foodfest make it's move through my system. 'Twas a large plate serving for dim sum y'all! But we finished it. My only regret was missing out on the mango pudding....or was it? You may not be so lucky like us in finding a front parking spot right at their door but you'll find a spot eventually. There was a thrift shop in this location but couldn't waddle there due to me belly or I would've popped some tags (too late for this term?).
(4)QP L.
I came here for dimsum today and ordered roast pork along with other food. We thought it's regular roast pig like other times we ordered before. When we look at the bill, they charged us $14.95 for one dish, which we don't know which one. It's all written in Chinese in the bill card. I asked and the waiter said it's the roast pig, which is baby roast pig, very expensive ($14.95 for like 6 pieces). We are shocked! We've been to this restaurant many times before and never knew baby roast pig was on the menu cart. I complained to the lady at the register, whom I think is the owner. She said all customers here knew and it's written in the bill card too. That bill card is written in CHINESE (how we're supposed to know?!) and the waiter didn't say anything specially when we picked it out from the cart. The lady also mentioned that they have regular roast pig Mon-Fri, but baby roast pig on Sat-Sun. But today is Friday!!! She didn't apologize or anything. I'm very disappointed in this restaurant's customer service. Will go to other dimsum restaurants in the area next time instead. Be careful when ordering roast pig at this restaurant unless you want to pay $15 for 6 pieces of small baby roast pig.
(1)Josh C.
Average taste for a Dim Sum place.
(3)Michael T.
Placed a large take-out order on a Sunday evening. Long wait. When I finally got my order, most of it was lukewarm. Otherwise the food was acceptable, but not anything that I would come back for. The wonton soup came with ZERO wontons. :-(
(2)Steve W.
OMG what did I eat? Our duck was served raw, you could see the blood on the meat. We brought up this concern with our server and his response? He microwaved the dish and re-served it. Go to XOXO if you're looking for some worthwhile Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)Shay D.
We stopped coming here because they changed the way they made their chicken feet. The seasoning was off . Also my bf informed me on the way home he saw a bug in one of the dishes. He didn't want me to freak out at the restaurant. GREAT!!! So now we are searching for a new dim house.
(2)Mischita H.
The hot and sour soup and the roasted duck are pretty good. The fried wonton (think crab ragoon but with chicken) is pretty good but would be much better if there were more filling. The spring rolls -- also chicken filled were ok but a Iittle on the greasy side. The shrimp lo mein wasn't that good - won't be ordering that again! It is nice that they are open until midnight on Fri & Sat.
(3)Jim H.
My goto dim sum place. If you're into authentic chinese food this is the place to go. If your into American Chinese food like general tso chicken try your local chinese resturant.
(5)Gretchen P.
Probably my favorite dim sum spot in the area, Mark's Duck House is a regular stop on my restaurant rotation (especially when dining out with my mama!). They serve cart-style dim sum for lunch every day of the week, not just on weekends, and always have all the good stuff going: char siu bao, cheung fun, hao gao, radish cake, dan tart... the list goes on! Like with any pull-your-food-as-it-passes type of dining, the bill can add up QUICK, and often our eyes are much bigger than our stomachs. So go with a group, get down with sharing dishes, and enjoy yourselves! Oh, and drink water (LOTS of water), since dim sum by its nature can be pretty salty. Weekday dim sum can sometimes be a little colder, too, since they're not as busy, so don't hesitate asking them to heat something back up. They did a quick re-fry of the fried squid for our table and it was good as new!
(4)Mike N.
The Dim Sum here is not as good as other places. They should have a health inspector come in and check up on their restaurant. My girlfriend and I were eating here once and she saw the server pick up a cockroach and kill it with his hands. Ew, wtf...?
(2)Maria B.
Mark's Duck House has great Peking duck, as the name suggests but I go for the dim sum. I've only been at lunch time so I'm not sure if they do the carts at night. There's nothing fancy or trendy about Mark's dim sum, which is how dim sum should be. Everything I've ever eaten here is solidly good and the prices are fantastic. Great selection and they come around often so you can keep ordering and ordering.
(4)Danny N.
Mark's Duck House is tucked in a strip mall at Seven Corners, an authentic Cantonese restaurant with BBQ and roast meat hanging by the window, and fish and lobster in the tank. I have been here for dinner for many years because I love their fresh and delicious food. A group of us went there for Lunar New Year dinner. When we got there at 6:30pm, the place was mostly empty. By 8pm, the place was fully seated, filled with energy, with additional people waiting for tables. We ordered from the Group Menu (6), family style. We had the BBQ special (roast duck and BBQ pork/char siu), crispy skin chicken, steam tilapia with ginger&scallion (fresh from the tank - it was very good), lobster with ginger&scallion (perennial fave), seafood combination, chinese broccoli, combo fried rice, and seafood tofu soup. Everything was very good except the BBQ pork. While we have ordered from the extensive menu prior, I highly recommend their Group Menu if you have 5 or more in your group. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, and the service was great! The younger owner was walking around, greeting customers and checking on the food/service. As it was the first day of Lunar New Year, he was also handing out red packets (filled with money) to the younger customers... Nice touch, indeed! 1/31/2014
(4)Virginia C.
People rave about this place but both the food and service are mediocre.
(2)Grace K.
The side dishes were delicious! As for the duck- I can't say the same. To be fair, it was my first time trying duck but it was a bit too slimy for my liking.
(3)Ron H.
I was psyched about trying the Dim Sum here, I had recommendations from friends and co-workers, and the reviews on Yelp seemed to indicate this as one of the best in Northern Virginia. Read the warnings about a big crowd so packed the family early and we got to the place at 10:30AM. Well, ok maybe I'm just not a Dim Sum guy, I don't know - but I was really unexcited about most of the selections I ordered except the crispy pork. And the prices were just ridiculous for the amount of food we got. Granted, we got many dishes (I wanted to try everything) but in the end we only had enough left-overs for one carry-out container. Here's the deal, we ordered 2 ice teas, 2 bowls of white rice, a noodle plate, crispy pork, egg rolls, pork buns, shrimp dumplings, beef with flat noodles, warm tofu and sesame rolls and bill came out to $60 + $10 tip = $70. That's kind of steep in my book with only one box left over to take home. The ambviance, although athentic with it's hanging pigs and ducks in the window. is kind of seedy and run-down. The seating is very cramped and you have to maneuver around the carts and between occupied chairs in order to get to the bathrooms. Meh. I might try the Dim Sum experience again somewhere else before I totally write it off as something I'm not a fan of, but I doubt I'll ever be returning here.
(3)Diana D.
Stopped in this place based on reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. Food was good and fresh. As others have stated if it's not on menu just ask and they will bring it. If your looking for atmosphere, wrong place, if you want good authentic Dim Sum this is your place!
(4)Jenny E.
I am a huge fan of Mark's Duck House. In my opinion, as good as it gets when it comes to chinese food. I love their peking duck, and its the only place in the DC area that I will get egg drop soup cause their soup is velvety and delicious, not like the gloppy gelatious egg drop soup they serve at many chinese restaurants in the area. It can be a tad pricey but in my opinion it's totally worth it.
(5)Mychelle H.
I've been going here since I was a child. I absolutely love coming on Saturdays for the dim sum. It's a small place, but there's a variety of items during the dim sum hours. The wait isn't usually too long surprisingly.
(4)Leslie J.
This is THE ULTIMATE PLACE in the NOVA area to get dim sum. Must-get: Everything that rolls by you on a cart? Just kidding. Must-orders: - TARO PUFFS and lots of 'em! they are THE BEST around, and to be honest, I think MD makes 'em the best. - Stuffed Crab Claw w/ Shrimp - the sweet OR steamed pork buns - the spare-ribs - shumai - har gow - shrimp rice crepes
(5)Audrey Z.
The place was dirty and the food was GROSS!!! The server was really nice. So not worth the time and money!!!
(1)Jane C.
Heard the owner changed, decided to give them another try. It was a good decision - Very good dim sum! Got there Sunday around noon, had to get a number to sit down. Chrysanthemum tea was piping hot, and came with rock sugar. Everything we ordered was tasty, fresh, and yum yum. Especially the roasted baby pig~ Loved it :D
(4)Myan T.
Every time I'm in NOVA I make sure that I somehow squeeze in a visit to Mark's Duck House and considering that I've been back about 5 times in the past year, I'm a fan of the place. Had it not been for an unusually upsetting occurrence this past weekend, this review would probably be about 4 stars. My boyfriend and I had dim sum with his father & cousin on Sunday and while we got quite a few dishes, we didn't get anything that was over the top. You can imagine our surprise/horror when the $80 bill came back. We asked the waitress what items were $14.95 and $17.95, she almost smugly told us that it was the dish of 5 slices of roast pork and the little dish of about 4 regular-size shrimp. Additionally, the fried crab/shrimp balls were $8 for a plate of 2 and the small bowl of spare ribs was about $11. Are you freaking kidding me? I am a lover of dim sum and have eaten it all over the US and all over the world and never in my life have I EVER paid more than about $8 for a dim sum dish. The night before, the four of us had appetizers, entres, and a bottle of wine at a restaurant in Dupont and the bill was $100! Ridiculous. NEVER AGAIN. The food is pretty good but my last experience really put me off the place. Not only did we walk away feeling like we'd been ripped off, the process of paying at this restaurant makes you feel like a criminal. Because we asked the waitress to clarify the bill, when my boyfriend tried to go find his father, he waitress snapped at both of us to "sit down." I'm used to be treated like a silly overly-Westernized Asian woman, but I do NOT appreciate being treated like a thief. ...Nevertheless, I am a sucker for a good bowl of Asian ramen so I will probably be back to Mark's Duck House because they have a great selection of ramen bowls for reasonable prices ($8-$10) LOL try to avoid this place for dim sum but if you dare to venture there, make sure you ask for prices as you go along!
(3)Jim W.
We go here for dim sum. Usually, early so we can get the hot dim sum. On Saturday, April 26, we went after tennis. It was okay.
(4)Mason B.
Ok. I don't write a ton of reviews and I've really been trying to bite my tongue but I just thought it best to do this. My wife and I were there last Sunday for their Dim Sum. The food was average and we were disappointed at even the duck. I love the idea of Dim Sum but even that turned out bad. So my wife wanted some fried rice and saw it on one of the carts. So she told the guy that when it came around she wanted to get some. He mistakenly or not went to the kitchen and got her a plate of pork fried rice; a huge one to boot. Not only was the place gross and just insanely dirty, but their comprehension of English was nonexistent. To make matters worse, I got a couple things of dumplings. I wanted to know if they had ponzu sauce and got no reply for the guy who was carting it around. I blew it off, no big deal. So we are paying our check and he comes over to a table full of folks and breaks out the ponzu sauce. I was hot = not very happy. I thought their treatment of us, neither one of us are Asian, was absurd. We won't be going back, but I hope you have a better experience than us if you try it out. Just make sure not to try the restrooms out.
(1)Cyndy K.
9/15/12 Dim Sum @Mark's Duck House is sensational! We consider Mark's our favorite place for dim sum. We love the deep fried taro dumplings and consider it the best we've ever had. The taro dumpling is fried perfectly - a nice delicate crunch on the outside and the tasty taro on the inside. It is well done. The har gau streamed shrimp dumplings are great, the pan fried chive dumpling, shu mai, seafood & golden mushroom dumpling. Also love the steamed pork buns. Reminds me of the manapua from Hawaii. The steamed buns are done very well with a light sweet soft bun stuffed with great flavored pork. Mark's is known for the crispy roast pork - if you love pork you will have to order it! Crispy skin on the outside with nice decadent pork - very yummy! Recommend getting there by 11:30am or you will be with the masses and the chaos and getting hungry by the minute. Service is good and quick.
(4)Stephanie T.
The dim sum is mediocre and the prices seem to always be changing. The cashier said prices have changed but still no new menu to reflect new price.
(2)Richard C.
Went here for the first time. Delicious food...I love having carts full of food wheel by me so that I can pick from dim sum to spare ribs. You must get there early as the place gets packed! Service is not awesome but it's still decent. They fill your drinks up pretty quickly and try to be as attentive as possible eventhough it was hectic.
(4)Chow N.
What better on a cold, windy night after a baseball game but a few bowls of dumpling noodle soup, brisket noodle soup, roast duck, and 6 large steamed oysters with black bean sauce and scallions ($29)? The latter goes great with rice. Pass the chili oil and soy sauce please.
(4)Nina B.
Oh man, I really wanted to like this place. I was craving Dim Sum like no one's business, and I thought this would satisfy me. But, it was quite the opposite. First of all, they don't provide you with a dim sum menu unless you ask for it. We went on a Wednesday night. Secondly, there are no carts going around offering me the experience I was so desperately hoping for. When I did get my 4-5 plates of food, I was disappointed with the flavor. The steamed dumplings were rather dry, and everything else just lacked taste. I don't think I should have to douse my food in soy sauce to make it edible. Finally, when I got home, the food was causing my digestive system to grumble alot. It was a very uncomfortable night, where I was constantly telling my stomach to shut up. I've never felt so close to being an abusive boyfriend. Is there any really good dim sum in NoVa?
(2)Sridhar S.
At last search for a good Chinese restaurant in the NoVA is over. The food keeps coming in carts, you can pick and choose what you want. Went for variety of dim sums, bbq ribs, spicy chicken noodles and finished off with their special tea. Service was fast and friendly. Must for any Chinese food lover. Hunt continues for a good Chinese buffet.
(4)Meg G.
*This is a solid 3.5 stars* I'm no dim sum expert; but I do know food, so I am ready to review the many mini-dishes at Mark's Duck House. Taro cakes!!! Yum! I liked most of the dumplings. The stuffed crabs were pretty nice! I should've skipped the first round of pork they brought around for the ribs. Sauteed bok choy was pretty good, and I guess the veggie dumplings could be considered a healthy choice. I skipped the mussels, but will definitely try on another visit. I didn't try any noodles, or breads. I guess I was too hungry and eager, initially, to wait until the other carts came around. I ordered duck to go, but forgot to specify Peking duck - womp, womp :(.... Anyway, service is fast and friendly. The prices are just okay. I could eat all of the taro dishes 24/7. It's worth a trip to try. *Sunday brunch (10:00) turned out not to be as crowded as I feared*
(3)Phuong N.
This place opens at 10am..unlike fortune dimsum, food isn't ready until 20-30 mins after. Our server is an old, slow, and rude man. The kitchen staff that serves the food is rude as well. Not a single smile. Not too impressed. Won't be back.
(2)Jon H.
I've had some great and some so-so experiences at Mark's. Walk in on a Saturday around noon? No wait, carts are in-your-face, but some of the good things (like turnip cake) are slow to replenish and you end up seeing the same carts over and over again. Sunday around noon? A party of four might wait 30 mins or longer, but the carts are picked clean and you better frenzy when a good one gets to you. Other than that, Mark's isn't too bad. The price is a bit high (two people, not overdoing it just ordering dim sum), can get to like $30. Service isn't too bad (the runners are really fast and clean off tables quickly, but the carts can be spotty and ladies a bit pushy). The food is decent, you got your regular ha gow, shu mai, egg custard pastries, clams, pork spareribs, chicken feet.....the peking duck is actually pretty solid with crispy skins and served traditional style (steamed buns, scallions, sauce). Overall, just a so-so place. Won't blow your socks off, but we all know dim sum in Virginia is either hit or miss or just really too expensive. Mark's puts itself right in the middle.
(4)Dmitry D.
This place is way over priced. For food that is nothing to rave about. It wasn't bad but I have had better. I would have gave it a three but they felt the need to approach one of the people that I was their with and asked him for a bigger tip. Listen people at marks duck house you are not owed the standard 15 percent it is up to the person giving it to you. And in this case he didn't think your service was worth it.
(2)Nick H.
Short and simple. Mark's Duck House serves some of the best dimsum in Northern Virginia. As far as quality goes, it's incomparable. So why only 4 stars? It's too popular and too small for that level of popularity. Every time I go with friends, if I've got a group larger than 2, it's generally a 30-60 minute wait. The restaurant feels cramp and making your way around the close tables can be a hassle. Is it worth it for the food? Absolutely. But given that Fortune is across the street, my friends and I will go to Fortune 90% of the time simply because it's more suitable for larger groups and because the wait is generally less. But if you like dimsum at all, you can't really go wrong with either locale. And if you've never been to MDH, then I definitely recommend it.
(4)Ginger H.
Was starving one night and stopped in. Had to back track to work and brought my husband the other night... simply put FANTASTIC. The service is wonderful and on the simple side... their Shrimp Fried Rice is PERFECT. I tried a seafood dish, chow fun, egg plant dish, duck, several dim sum and all were delicious. I can't wait to return for brunch to just do dim sum!!! Will be a favorite to return to over and over....Just wish it was closer to my house.
(4)Michael J.
Very good food and excellent service. Again, your typical Hong Kong fare with all the right touches. You can even get dim sum off of their menu in the evening. My friend and I came here for a quickie birthday meal at 10PM on a Thursday night. Below is a short summary of our meal: Crispy skinned roast pork - Top notch. Not very fat nor very dry. Just the right amount of flavor and juice. To get this kind of BBQ outside of Hong Kong is rare and not all restaurants can pull this off. Tender chicken with mushroom clay pot (came out in a steel pot) - The chicken was indeed very tender and the mushroom flavorful. This is a dish that's hard to mess up in terms of presentation but getting the right flavor is difficult. Again, handled very well. (Dim Sum dishes) Shiumai, Shrimp dumpling, Beef meatball - The flavor in the dim sum was very well done and layered. More importantly, they tasted fresh and hot, as if just came out of the steamer. The only blemish is that the shrimp dumpling's skin was very brittle. It falls apart easily upon contact. That's usually not very good. Anyway, not a big deal, but just saying. Mango pudding - this is by far the BEST mango pudding I've had outside of Hong Kong. They had fresh, cubed mangos inside the pudding. The flavor was just right, striking a fine balance between sweet and tangy. You can tell they used fresh ingredients as opposed to processed mango flavoring. I will definitely get it again when I go back. My only complaint is the place is VERY FAR from metro and hard to access by bus. Basically, you can only get their by car. If not, I'll be going back every week. Highly recommend for those who love Cantonese food!!
(5)Jessica H.
DIM SUM REVIEW. This is the only place in NoVa that I'm willing to go for dim sum. You MUST arrive by 11am, 11:30 at the latest. Otherwise you will be crammed into the tiny space at the front with all those other people for a very long time, waiting for a table. You put your name on a list, they give you a paper slip with a number on it, and then you wait. And wait. I'm used to New Fortune in Gaithersburg, which is approximately 100 times the size of Mark's Duck House. (Give or take.) But this place still has carts, and has most of the same food I'm used to. Sticky rice in banana leaves! Stir-fried string beans! Dumplings of various kinds! Chow fun! You might have to ask a couple times if there's some normal dim sum food that you want that you don't see, because they probably have some made and just didn't bring it by your table yet.
(4)James L.
Had dim sum in several places in the US, namely San Jose, Philly, Orlando, Austin, etc....This is our second shot here at Northern Virginia. Our first experience after moving here being Hong Kong Pearl, which was actually above average despite the long waiting line. Food here deserves some compliments in their roasted BBQ and chicken feet. However, their dim sum dishes were simply mediocre. The tofu wrapped roll was not greasy (which is good) but had very plain taste in them, stuffed with mostly pork (a proper tofu wrapped roll should include bamboo shoots, water chestnut, and sometimes some fungus). They simply don't serve good dim sum. Above Pars: 1. Service - Service was fast and friendly, even though we were seated at the corner, the food carts kept coming without long waits. This is always a plus for dim sum restaurants. 2. Roast Pork - Good HK style roast dishes. I bet their roast duck is good. 3. Chicken feet - Their chicken feet were pretty good. Might not have the best flavor, but they do cook them thoroughly. Sub-Pars: 1. Pan fried leek buns - $3.50 for 3 leek buns? This is the most expensive leek buns I've ever eaten, and it's not even good at all.....Too little leek in it, and they were not brought out on a pan fried cart which keeps the heat in it. 2. Transparency of their pricing - $14.95 for a small dish of baby roasted pork? And you've read about the pan fried leek buns mentioned above......I don't like to go around eating dim sum and ask for the price of each dish, and I believe most people don't like that as well! I ended up eating three $3.50 dishes and a dish of baby roasted pork, paid more than $30 for two people........Out of all the places, I've never paid more than $22 for two people servings......You'll just have to give it a try to understand what I'm talking about...
(1)Ross M.
I haven't been here in years, but I was in for a surprise. The food quality and service is a lot better than what I remember. China Garden can go F themselves. Bunch of amateurs over there. jasmine tea - okay crispy pork (lechon?) - good (thanks Kim V.) har-gow - good shoe-my - good chicken feet - good (easy peppery-spicy flavor) jew-chow-shau-bau - okay (when they aren't piping hot, they taste frozen-made) pineapple bun - i don't order anymore, freaks me out $37 for 2, friendly service, fresh food (we got there at 10:50am though), in and out in a jiffy. I heard Red Pearl in Columbia closed, so sad. Let's see how HKP and MDH go against each other since they are only 100 yards apart.
(4)Jenny S.
This review is only for their dim sum since that is the only time I ever come. I've been to Mark's Duck House at least a dozen times just for dim sum. This is my go-to place since heading to Maryland is too much of a trek for me. The dim sum here is great- the shumai, hargow, fried shrimp balls, fried taro, steamed dumplings, shrimp crepes and pork buns. Of course, every now and then you will find yourself eating a luke-warm place since the food has been sitting on the carts longer, but that is to be expected. Service is fine, nothing worth noting. I never have had an issue asking for the bill or a fork or my water refilled. Sometimes, service may be slower since this place is always pretty crowded on the weekends during dim sum hours. Even though it's packed, the line moves along fairly quickly. I don't think I've ever waited more than 30 minutes to be seated. With consistent food over the years I've been here, Mark's is definitely my go-to dim sum restaurant. There is a reason why this place is still around after so many years (and so packed), the consistent food hasn't changed much and people can rely on that. Just writing this review makes me want to eat there now!
(4)Elina Y.
First visit was mediocre. Service was alright, nothing to scream about but not lacking. The shrimp in lobster sauce was alright as well, nothing out of the ordinary. Second visit was on Christmas Day for dim sum around 11am. CRAZY MISTAKE! We waited 45mins and the house was PACKED! My Chinese friend totally recommended this place for dim sum since I am not a native. Was I satisfied? Well... -Chicken feet: Ridiculously salty. -Dumplings: Almost cold. I asked for warm dumplings and the guy just reheated mine. How did I know? I took a small bite of one of the dumpling and they came right back to me. I was expecting a new plate of them. =/ Perhaps they were not up to par with their food because it was so crowded? I hope so....willing to give their dim sum another try on a non-holiday day since they come highly recommended. P.S. Their seating arrangements are very congested.
(3)Rose N.
My go to for dim sum Sundays! The wait is always ridonkulous, but its the only decent dim sum place I know of in NOVA. Hot, fresh dim sum for sure. This place is always packed on Sunday. Sitting on the left side of the restaurant puts you at a disadvantage because once the carts stroll down to all the hungry restaurant goers on the right, all the good dim sum choices disappear quickly, esp the shumai (my favvvvv). We were really craving fried chicken too so we order their half crispy fried chicken (definitely not what we were expecting), it was ehh. I think I'll just stick to the dim sum.
(4)Minwoo J.
Honestly I understand others comment during lunch time. I have been to lunch for dimsum which was a-okay, since I live in MD I went to better place for dimsum. However! I love this place for pecking duck. I mean I had pecking duck from Pecking Gourmet Inn but when I found this place I stop going to PGI. Name of the restaurant is Mark's Duck House. Have a duck!
(5)Tan T.
Love this place! Food is good for the money.
(4)Lan T.
I don't get out to Falls Church often, so when I do, I try to get my Asian fill. For my most reason trip I decided to check out Mark's Duck House. First of all, it too me FOREVER to find this place. I drove around several times until I found the place. Its in a strip mall called Willston or something that has a CVS and TD Ameritrade and next to some tequila bar or something. Anyway, on to the food! I ordered carry out. The guy taking my order was really nice and helpful. I ordered combination pan fried noodles, meat dumplings, shrimp dumplings, shumai, and chive and shrimp dumplings. The noodles were good, just what I expected. It had a combination of scallops, fish balls, beef, chicken, and other stuff in it. Although it seemed like there was only one or two of each thing in there. I think my favorite dumping was the chive and shrimp. The other shrimp dumpling and shumai were good as well. I guess the only dish I didn't really care for was the dumplings. I thought they would be the dumplings with the soup in them, but these looked and tasted like steamed pot stickers. The wrapper tasted fresh like they made it in house or just wrapped it recently, but I guess it just wasn't what I was expecting. Anyway, I'd go back to Marks for dim sum. I ordered take out around 6pm, so their dim sum selection was a bit limited. Ok, so for the weird parking lot experience. I sat in my car to wait for my food. I was playing games on my phone, and I noticed from the corner of my eye, some guy that was just hanging out behind my car. He started wandering around my car, then wandering around the car next to mine, looking in the cars to see what was inside. Anyway, that freaked me out, so I moved my car to around the corner. Even after the weird parking lot guy and having to drive around a few times until I found the place, I'd go back to Mark's to try the other dim sum options. OINK!
(3)Matthew M.
Today I had Dim Sum and it was delicious, The roast baby pig was crispy and moist, and BBQ Ribs are amazing!!!..My friend had the roast duck and said it was juicy and crispy as well. I can not wait to go back next week
(5)Mia M.
Mark's Duck House is pretty good food, probably one of the best places around here for dim sum, but it's expensive enough that I won't be coming back for a long time. Some dim sum, 2 menu items: noodles and chicken, and $2.25 tea = nearly $70.00 lunch for 3 people. Best advice is always check the price before ordering off the cart. We didn't realize the saucer of baby pig is $15, that's what did us in. Their Peking duck is gooood.
(3)Chris G.
Everything at marks duck is awesome. Basically. The general Tso's is sooooooo good. The bean curd is awesome. My mom gets a lot of their fish dishes, and they are really, really good as well. The service is super friendly and if you go frequently they will remember you. Just a great place for chinese, I go every time I'm in town.
(5)Kat B.
4.5 stars rounded to 5. I've been here twice so far with the family. I used to think Peking Gourmet had the best duck but I've changed my mind! It's definitely Mark's Duck House...their duck is glazed with a really delicious sauce that reminds me of Chinese red roast pork (Char Siu). Contrary to Vivian C. I actually prefer their thin style of pancake over the regular style. The steamed ones can get soggy pretty quickly...either on the table or if you get take out in whatever bag they put it in. Even better than the duck though are their GARGANTUAN OYSTERS. Supposedly they aren't on the menu so it might be a good idea to call ahead and see if they have them. The oysters are lightly steamed and served with a really light but also extremely flavorful ginger scallion soy sauce. You can also order them fried (mother-in-law said was delicious) or with a black bean sauce which I haven't tried yet. I also really liked their snow pea shoots and seafood fried rice. The fried rice was packed with scallops, shrimp, crab, and salted fish and the rice wasn't too greasy. it was some of the best fried rice I've had in this country. I only have a couple things I can nitpick about: 1) their fresh fish was overcooked and a bit tough but the sauce was really good and 2) the sauce for their eggplant dish is a bit too sweet/sour for my liking and the skin is a little tough. It reminds me too much of hot and sour soup/fake Chinese takeout. They would be better off using smaller/younger Thai or Chinese eggplant. Their service is really efficient and friendly, even when the restaurant is totally packed. Plus at the end of the meal they gave us some duck carcasses upon request to take home so my mother-in-law could make some stock. The decor and ambiance could be a little better but honestly the foods so good that you have tunnel vision during the meal and only notice when you leave/enter! I don't feel as claustrophobic here compared to Peking Gourmet when they are equally packed. I'm looking forward to the next time I come here...and the mutant oyster!
(5)Win C.
First time in VA, we went to visit a friend's brother and we decided to have dim sum before we leave. He recommended this place and I loved it. I wasn't expecting much from this place because I thought it was going to be very Americanized based dim sum, but they did keep it traditional. The flavors were packed I would definitely come again if I'm in the area.
(4)John D.
The staff are clueless. One guy kept bumping into me every time he refilled our waters, and didn't even acknowledge it. I swear that I was going to eventually lose it. Then we ask for some custard buns, which we saw on the cart. They come by with some egg custard. No, custard buns. They have to grab someone else, and they "educate us" that they don't have custard buns, only pineapple buns. So we take those, cut one open, and we see that it's pineapple custard. OK man, whatever. The last thing that really grossed me out was when the servers refilled our waters each times, they put their hands on the rim of the glass. Pick up a glass and put your entire hand around the rim. Would you want to drink out of a glass where the person's hand is mixing everyone else's saliva with yours? No thanks. I stopped drinking water after seeing this multiple times. I can only imagine what might be happening in the kitchen where you can't see.
(2)Nick A.
I don't know who Mark is, but he nailed it with his fowl house. A crap-load of food for not a whole lot of money - that was my take away. While this is normally the case with a lot of Chinese food places, the difference here was that it was actually really good. The menu is huge - with tons of choices. Lots of these look really good, and everything that we tried was excellent. Somethings, I'm not so sure about, but still really wanted to try - if you have had the Duck Tongue, please get in touch with me, because I am dying to know a) if it tastes good, and b) if the plate looks as hilarious as it does in my imagination (a bunch of triangular little duck tongues arranged in a rosette.) Duck-wise, do yourself a favor and get the duck; it's excellent, and a little less pricey than some other places in the region. Will be back, and definitely to try the dim sum!
(4)Allen T.
I decided to try this place after seeing the good mentions about their Peking Duck. Should have stuck to the stereotype; why in the world would you order this dish at a Cantonese restaurant? Well, let's just say, this was a rookie mistake. We ordered a few dim sum dishes as appetizers and these were fine, except that the fried stuff were no longer warm, let alone hot. My wife was in the mood for Peking Duck. We didn't want to drive all the way to Tyson's Corner to China Wok and I think Peking Gourmet Inn is too expensive and over rated. It took forever to come out, but we didn't call ahead, so it is to be expected, but what they served us was the worst rendition of this dish I have ever been served. The meat was cold; it was not sliced properly. the skin was brown rather than golden and was heavy rather than light and crispy. Either this was an anomaly or the rest of you who said good things about their Peking Duck just have no idea what good Peking Duck is suppose to be like. Anyway, I'm sure they do the Cantonese standards fine, but stay away from their Peking Duck.
(2)A.R. P.
As diverse a menu as Mark's Duck House offers, it is rather perplexing why it chooses to feature "duck" in its name. Why single out the duck to the exclusion of everything else? In fact, the curious phrase, "Chinese Seafood & Grill Restaurant" appears on its menu; and, a perusal of Mark's offerings lists shrimp, scallop, clam, oyster, lobster, fish, and crab specialties. They even have a heading featuring, "conch, squid, and cuttlefish." Without a doubt, seafood has a much more prominent place at Mark's than duck. However, as I wandered in for a late dinner, I was not going to allow all of these seafood items to dissuade me from ordering the duck. I mean, really, if Mark's is, in fact, a "duck house" as it claims; then, the roast duck surely must be pretty good, right? Well, so much for logic. The duck, actually, was not very good (at least, not on my visit). While the chef did not take the duck from the window display and egregiously microwave it, he did not necessarily find a satisfactory way to crisp the skin. Although I could tell that it had been flashed with hot oil, the result was only mildly effective as the skin was still more moist than crispy. And, despite possessing the traditional Chinese spice rub on its interior carcass, the duck was largely flavorless. To Mark's credit, it did serve a portion of vegetables with the standard roast duck on rice platter. Some of its nearest competitors may literally offer simply duck and rice (like Full Kee); some places (like Miu Kee) may generously serve yu choy (a Chinese leafy green vegetable). Mark's is somewhere in between these two extremes in offering nappa cabbage along with the duck. However, the nappa cabbage that accompanied the duck was grossly water-logged and overcooked. It seemed like it had been festering for hours in a cauldron of boiling water. It was totally bland and unappetizing. Wow... Really, if Mark's is a "duck house," then that sure doesn't bode well for duck houses. Maybe, I should amend that old test of inductive reasoning. Surely, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then, it's probably going to end up being a sub-par meal at Mark's Duck House." Sad, isn't it?
(2)Sinbat S.
Stopped going there over 2 years ago for one reason: While sitting there eating with my family, I saw a cock roach crawling on the wall next to me. If you can eat your food while this is happening, be my guest.
(1)TJ M.
How disappointing! I went here over a year ago and loved it. However, I went back recently, and wow, it was actually bad. For whatever reason, there were at least 2-3 dishes that were cold. You'd think they'd at least recycle/reheat a dish if it's been sitting for too long? Anyway, shame on me, I should have been more careful. But my stomach was angry at me later. If you keep an eye on what you're ordering, you should be able to avoid this problem. That being said, I expect better from a restaurant.
(2)Lauren D.
Worst Dim Sum that I've ever had. Mediocre Chinese food, interior looks like one of those places on tv that is on a restaurant makeover show. Server sat down to eat lunch with other staff right next to us. Overall waste of time and money.
(1)Gregg M.
In the never-ending pursuit of good dim sum, the Yelp Community offered up their recommendations on the best the area has to offer and Mark's Duck House was one of the more popular picks. Some friends (and fellow Yelpers) and I met Eric O, the Sensei of the Haiku Yelp Review, and a group of his friends (and fellow Yelpers) at Mark's for a Saturday afternoon dim sum feast. Having never been to Hong Kong or elsewhere in China, I have no idea what a truly authentic dim sum house should look like, but Mark's looked and felt like some of the better dim sum places that I've been to on the west coast...Chinese women pushing carts of steaming hot goodness, lots of multi-generational Chinese families enjoying a family meal, and lots of Chinese being spoken. Since my part of the group arrived a few minutes late (damn the traffic!), the rest of the party was already in full feed mode by the time we sat down. Sitting down was little bit of a challenge since the restaurant was packed and probably violating the fire code for exceeding its maximum capacity. The dining room layout coupled with the mass of humanity made it difficult for the food carts to maneuver and make their appointed rounds. Although Mark's is a relatively small restaurant, they only had three carts, at most, on the floor at any given time. That coupled with the lack of maneuvering room, made it take a bit longer than it should for carts to come around. By the time the food carts did make their way to our table, the food was sometimes cold or at least tepid (ex. roasted duck) or they were out of the selection we wanted (ex. fried sesame balls). Not to dwell on the negatives, despite the crush of diners, the service was quite good. Dirty plates were taken away regularly and we never waited any length of time for our water glasses and pots of tea to be refilled. Mark's Duck House did offer up some flavorful dim sum...certainly the best I've had in the area, so far....for a very reasonable price. When a party of eight can eat till they're full for less than $20 per person with tip included, that's good value! Needless to say, I'll be back!
(3)Mark S.
Went here for Dim Sum a few months back. It was very disappointing. The food seemed soggy and greasy. Just didn't have the 'flavor' of other Dim Sum spots. Fortune across the street is much better and is bigger. I felt very cramped sitting inside Mark's Duck House. There are other Dim Sum places in the area that are better. I can't comment on their other dishes.. so this review is just for their Dim Sum.
(3)Eric O.
Five or more people definitely calls for a reservation. Four hundred dishes is approximately what we ordered, give or take. Three dishes were disappointingly not readily available: luóbo go (daikon cake), sweet tofu dessert, and sesame seed balls. Two hundred thousand calories were consumed, at least. One wonders where Megan J and Jesse will take us next...? ;)
(3)Amanda E.
Mark's Duck House has slid in as a later night favorite for noodle soup. Huge, steaming bowls of egg noodles and fish balls, or noodles, roast pork and wontons are my go-tos. Our fav greens are the watercress with bean curd paste. If you're up to try something beyond the usual Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, give them a shot. The peppery greens with the piquant bean curd paste is a perfect side to their soups.
(4)Oliver J.
The reviewer before me paid $15pp... haha well let's just say we ate more than double that amount per person (no extra drinks or anything). I thought it was fabulous. The hot dim sum was great. All the dumplings, the veggies, the awesomeness. I'd try and explain the dishes I liked... but they all seemed like different forms of dumplings... idk. The duck or port with the crispy fried skin was cold, why? The pork ribs were cold, why? The pork bus were too doughy. The tea was meh. The staff kept touching the tops of my tea mug and water glass.... were they born yesterday? I have trouble giving this place lower than four stars because for the price and seemed like quality of the food... it all worked from me. I could eat here once a month.
(4)Francis L.
Mark's Duck House provides the Norther Va area with a place to go for Chinese comfort food. Roasted meats (hanging chicken and ducks and pigs) and dim sum is what the place is know. For and Marks does both better than most for the Mid-Atlantic region. While not on par with the restaurants in the major Chinatowns in America the food is pretty authentic. The noodles are pretty authentic and good in a pinch. Overall if you are looking to find a pretty authentic Chinese food experience in the NOVA area you should at least give Mark's Duck House a shot.
(4)LanChi N.
I've been going here since I was a kid from when it first started in Eden Center as a small compact restaurant serving Mi Noodle Soups,Carry Out and other dishes. But now it has become"THE DIM SUM PLACE"'. Everyone and there moms' are here every weekend. They have the most variety that i've seen for dim sum. There is always hot food coming out of the kitchen. Although what i've noticed is that between the hours of 1:00-1:30 is when most of the better dishes that you usually don't expect at dim sum come out. One thing to remember is to be patient because all the dishes that pass by may look really good but some may just be eh...decent. We usually get pretty decent service...it may also because we go here so often lol. Either way the food is good and is worth the wait if your willing to wait for it. Or if your your just in the mood for good chinese cuisine that isn't americanized this is a place to go.
(4)Megan J.
Nine Yelpers sat down at the table And ate as much as were able Dumplings were stand-out But sesame balls were ran-out All in all, though, 'twas the dim sum so fabled!
(3)Dana V.
Always reliable, excellent dim sum and friendly service. We love going here for New Year's Eve or any other time. Very reasonable prices.
(4)Jackelyn A.
I had the Shrimp Dumplings from this place and they were so delicious! However, I soon became very upset and disappointed. Their Shrimp Dumplings are cooked with Pork fat!! I do not consume pork and I was disappointed that they did not mention this on the menu. Perhaps they should include that this dish is not just shrimp.
(2)Kozmeaux D.
Late review; sorry. This might be the last time I patron this place. Crowded for sure, but that doesn't mean its a good place. Dim sum was luke warm and flavorless.
(2)Vivian C.
Let me first start of by saying the service is wonderful. In many Chinese restaurants, the focus is not so much about customer service (ie: returning to see how satisfied customers are, refilling water, etc). The staff at Mark's Duck House is generally very friendly. The food was okay. Our table ordered the Peking duck, Sweet & Sour Spareribs Hong Kong Style, Diced Chicken w/ Anchovy & Eggplant Casserole and a blood cake dish. Keep in mind my family is Chinese. We tend to order dishes white Americans and non-Chinese folks are not too familiar with. The Peking duck wasn't the best I have tried mainly because the pancakes were very thin and dry. I'm used to them coming out steamed, moist, and of medium thickness. The duck itself was delicious: the skin was crispy brown and the duck meet wasn't to fatty. Like I said, though. Peking duck only has a few ingredients so not satisfying one of them definitely affects my views on this dish. The Sweet & sour spareribs are always delicious, but the portion is small for the price ($15). The spareribs were VERY small compared to the same dish from, say, XO Taste nearby. Very delicious, but not worth $15. The Diced Achovy & Eggplant casserole was delicious, but be careful not to dig right into it. It comes in a hotpot and is SUPER hot when the dish comes out (the waiter gave us a disclaimer). The anchovy is almost invisible and is basically salted fish. The eggplant is in chunks and the chicken isn't seasoned, but somehow everything goes well together. The blood cake dish is a dish Chinese people are familiar with. It is literally duck blood dried into cubes. Hence called cake blood. The dish also includes the kidney of a duck as well. I wouldn't say its delicious, as the cake has a minerally finish, but its not bad. The texture is that of jelly, sort of, but the flavor isn't something to shy away from. Give it a go, adventurous one =) I didn't give this place a 4 because I'm not a fan, but giving Mark's Duck House a 3 doesn't mean I dislike it. Like it says, this place is okay!
(3)Isabella W.
Decorated with the usual Chinese restaurant tackiness, Mark's Duck house offers some good dishes to satisfy the need for real Chinese food. We ordered: ------------DISH--------------- ------I WOULD------- Dumpling Noodle Soup Pass Peking Duck w/pancakes Order again Chicken Fried Rice Pass Chinese Watercress with garlic Order again The dumpling and the fried rice were not stellar just plain and edible. The peking duck is deboned and you do not get the bones to go even when you paid for the whole duck nor see them slicing it in front of you, I do feel kind of cheated on that. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, even more after I spoke Chinese to her.
(3)Cynthia L.
*I haven't eaten here, but I've carried out their peking duck. About $25 for a whole duck, nicely marinated and meaty, unlike other places I've been to. It's right next to Eden Center and always packed whenever I visit. 4 Star because I can't say anything about their food yet & because when I paid with credit card, they add a "surcharge" to your bill.
(4)Cecile K.
[This review is for their dimsum and duck] Good dimsum seems hard to find in DC/VA area, so my friends and I scoped out a few before choosing here (China Garden was a close second). Those who aren't familiar with dimsum in general (myself included since I have only gone a handful of times), the best time to go is for lunch on the weekends. Not only do you get a wide variety of selections, but also see the waiters and waitresses pushing metal carts with delicious goods to pick-and-choose from. (For me, that is half the fun.) My friends and I went for dinner on a weekday. Despite being skeptical, we still went because their website listed a dimsum menu (with pictures) for dinner/weekday. They said it was "limited", but we had no idea that it meant "hardly any food". The waitress was curt with us and seemed baffled why we were even asking for dimsum. She would respond with a "No. We out." whenever we would point at a particular dish on the menu (the carts were not there). We narrowed it down to about 4, 5 dishes split among five people. It was not enough, so we also ordered the duck. The few dishes we had were very good. I particularly remember their Sticky Rice (3 per dish) and their Sesame Balls (3 per dish). The food came out quickly and was hot, chewy, and flavorful (not too salty or oily like other places). The prices are a little higher than what you expect at a dimsum restaurant--I think we paid $4 or $5 for each dish. The amount per dish was a good size for 1-2 persons, not ideal for a group--unless you go on the weekends. Also, "sharing" dishes are hard since each dish comes out with 2-4 pieces of food. Unless you want to be THAT person and say, "This one is mine. Don't touch. But can I have some of your pork belly?", you will hardly get your fill. The duck was a little on the oily side. (My duck dish was glistening by the time we finished dinner.) It can stand on its own (great taste and consistency), as long as you don't compare it to Peking Gourmet Inn. One thing it does beat out is the price. We had a full duck and was pretty surprised at what the bill came out to. Overall: -Go for the duck -Go for the dimsum but only for lunch on the weekends when they have the carts -3 stars bc of the limited selection of food, even though their dinner/weekday still displayed a good amount -3 stars bc the food was delicious, even with the two, three available dimsum dishes they had
(3)Juliet K.
been here a couple times. once for dim sum and once for dinner. dim sum: it is better than some places. but it is a bit greasy to just beware. i like this place better than fortune on rt 50 because i think it has better flavors, but i like hong kong seafood pearl restaurant better since it is less greasy. so just depends on how greasy you like your dim sum. dinner: ordered kingdom pork. its pretty good, but not the best that i've had. I thought the pork could have been crunchier, and the sauce was a little too sweet. overall, decent chinese food. it seems to be a very popular place so it gets busy. For dim sum, they made us share a table with others but i didnt really mind. its not the cleanest place, or the fanciest - but it definitely get the job done for whatever chinese options you might be craving.
(3)Michael K.
I've had Hong Kong and then I was introduced to Mark duck...the dim sum comes out fresh, the cart doesn't take forever and a day to get to you and the servers are always on point. The chicken feet have a great flavor and just the right amount of spice. Couldn't be happier, me and my girlfriend go here every Saturday and we have not been disappointed...yet. Black bean clams are excellent as well.
(4)Jenny T.
Best authentic Hong Kong style dim sum I've found thus far in DC area and pretty great dinner selection as well. I definitely frequent this place. Food is fresh and delicious! Special dim sum menu on weekends. Opens at 10am, but there is usually a crowd waiting, so arrive fairly early if you don't want to wait. The later you are, the more likely you'll need to wait ~30 minutes. There isn't a large area to wait, and everyone gets little cutout numbers...it's a crazy system, but it works! Staff is pretty helpful, but it gets pretty hectic during the special dim sum hours. All other hours, I have no problem with getting attention. For those of you who aren't familiar, they have ducks hanging in the front window! Get the Peking Duck if you've had it; you won't be disappointed. (It's pretty much like...duck burritos, except the sauce is absolutely amazing and almost MAKES the dish)
(5)Tiger C.
The place is like any other smaller Asian restaurant, it definitely cannot be labeled clean but I would not call it dirty either. It definitely has traditional Chinese dishes, and the waiters are funny enough to be on Broadway as extras with one-liners. With those comments aside, the food was real decent. Not amazing but not bad at all. Potstickers were fried up a bit more than I usually have at Chinese restaurants, but the filling was good. The Peking duck was really not bad at all. Peking Gourmet is more traditional with the smaller wraps and the thinner cut onions though. Only thing that I did not really like about the duck was the tortilla was big enough that it seemed to come straight from the Mission tortilla bag that you buy at your local Safeway. Snow pea vegetable that looked like spinach was great. Finally, beef chow fun was decent, surprisingly it was not as salty or oily as other restaurants, but probably what led to its bland flavor.
(3)Kate O.
I like that they open at 10:00am on Sunday. This gives us enough time between getting up, getting ready, and get there before it gets very busy. This also ensures that the food we get off the dim sum carts are fresh and piping hot. We never had a bad meal here. If you want something and it is not in one of the carts, they will make it for you.
(4)Mary D.
Not sure what happened to this place, but all the hot food we ordered was cold and prices went up significantly. Two of us used to spend about $30 here, and today we spent $50 for a smaller amount of food than we usually get. Will not be coming back here anytime soon.
(2)Lindagrace D.
We had my three-year-old's birthday party here because we all LOOOVVVE dim sum (we made reservations 2 weeks in advance)!! We had two large tables of ten, side-by-side. What's nice about dim sum dining in a big group is that everyone is able to select little plates that please them. There is something for everyone! There were even vegetarians in our party that enjoyed the vegetable dumplings (steamed and fried), noodles, and sauteed bok choy. The quality of dim sum here is excellent, and my top picks include: shumai, shrimp dumplings, crab balls, and of course, duck!! We hosted the party, and for 20 heads, the bill was around $340. Not bad, not bad at all for a bunch of happy, smiling, full people. P.S. - This place gets PACKED like a hot nightclub. You will always see a herd of folks clumped up outside the entrance doors, waiting to be seated, so come early!
(5)Elizabeth S.
I love the dim sum here. We usually come here about twice a month on Saturdays. We get here around 10-11am because after that it gets uber busy and you would have to wait for a while. I love the smell of duck that comes to your nose right after you walk in. The service is excellent. I seem to notice that they place servers in certain parts of the floor and they only concentrate on serving those tables. They are very fast at removing your plates and they come by pretty fast with the dim sum. The price is reasonable but not as good as SF or Portland. I can't believe a broccoli dish cost 5 dollars though.... The food seems to never be old because they get so many customers that they always refill. Overall i love this place.
(4)Tom T.
Dim sum was our goal Sunday and were headed to another location when a buddy texted to pull over and turn around to try Mark's Duck House. The NAME didn't convey Dim Sum but pulled the trigger. The wait wasn't bad as we were near the end of the rush and was surprised by the popularity of the place: packed. Now the discovery phase: what's so good about these people's experience here with Dim Sum? Cart 1 - loaded up with my usual go to dishes and watched where they marked the price on my ticket... Over all the food was ok, staff service not bad and funny. They were attentive and happy all around and even busted on the veteran waiter who dropped a stack of clean dishes. He was busting up laughing about it too as he was razzed by his co-workers, so I saw it was a good place to work for them. Would I go there again soon, perhaps in a year. Nice discovery, average dim sum, good service.
(3)Jennifer M.
Came here on a Sunday for brunch and saw that this place was definitely popular. We haven't been here for years and thought it was time to give it a try again with all the good reviews. We were seated after about 35 minutes. Prices are ok (only slightly higher) for the area at about $3.50 per dim sum plate. Food is good and the flavors are right. I'm Cantonese and I know/love my dim sum. They don't have much in terms of variety though. However not everything they roll around is kept covered/heated. I also overheard a manager go tell a server to take dishes back to the kitchen for a cook to reheat... so I don't know how long some dishes have been around for the day... very iffy... In the end, a decent place but price, portion, and variety aren't good enough.
(3)Fouad A.
First of all, their hot and sour soup is some of the very best I've ever tasted. 10 out of 10. (You get a large bowl that serves 2.) But they fall short in some other areas. The most important is the concept of Chinese sauces. Sauces are the heart of Chinese cooking, yet inexplicably they gave us zero to almost none, with our entrees. Also as a Chinese restaurant they don't list Szechuan Chicken, which is my favourite Chinese dish. Their spring rolls are filled with some kind of grey meat, probably pork, and come with inappropriate sauces. Mark's specialises in seafood and duck, so why not fill the spring rolls with seafood (shrimp, for example) or duck? They are in a neighborhood with many Vietnamese, so much so that their English menu has Vietnamese as a second language. Why not serve Vietnamese spring rolls? If they stick with grey meat, how about an appropriate sauce such as A1 sauce? Another suggestion to them is that they serve chicken dishes with white meat rather than dark meat, because most people prefer it. Bottom line so far: The H&S soup is great. I wish we had tried seafood or duck, and I'm sorry we tried the spring rolls.
(3)Yaima R.
Solidly good dim sum at reasonable prices. I especially liked their roasted duck, very tasty.
(4)Chris D.
Twenty years ago, my screen name on Prodigy was DimSum. Why? Well, I spent a lot of time at a Chinese friend's house growing up and when creating our aliases, we thought it would be awesome if they were complementary. We also loved food, especially Chinese food. In fact, we ate way too much food. So, after about as much deliberation as overweight pre-teens can muster, we decided on Eggroll for him and DimSum for me. We thought we were clever and were destined to be deemed kings of our ANSI-based text world. At the very least, the ladies would be impressed... wouldn't they? Well, that angle didn't quite pan out but at least the story serves an appropriate (?) context of my love of dim sum two decades later. A love, that as best as I can tell, is the only reason I would wait 50 minutes for a table. I can't remember the last time I waited more than 15 minutes anywhere, but for whatever reason, I was happy to get pushed around a crowded entryway while waiting for our number to be called. Overall, the quality of the product is some of the better in the area. Turnover is high so dishes are usually hot, fresh and delicious. Some items are better than others, but personal taste tends to play a large roll in your preference. Things I can't wait to have again include the fantastic Peking Duck skin, shark fin dumplings and steamed oysters as big as my fist. The sad part of the whole experience, or any dim sum experience really, is that it's over before you even realize it started. I wanted to go back 6 hours later and do it all over again in hopes of extending the enjoyment. I'm not sure I'd wait 50 minutes for a table twice in one day, but who knows... I make poor decisions when they wheel those carts past me every few minutes. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Eggroll and I are not only still friends; he's the one who recommended Mark's to me. That's how we roll. (Horrible pun intended.)
(4)Ariel H.
Having tried essentially all dim sum places in the DC/MD/VA area, we remain a dim sum regular at Mark's Duck House. The dim sum really is better than what you can get at the other dim sum places nearby (i.e. HK Pearl Seafood restaurant, Fortune at least). Also love their variety of steam dumplings. In addition to the typical ha-gaw (shrimp dumpling), they have chive and shrimp dumpling, scallop dumpling, golden mushroom dumpling... etc. Prices are reasonable and service is fast/solid. They get very busy during weekend lunch time, so make sure to come early. I've also been here for normal meals and typically enjoy their yee-mien? (noodles) and stuffed three treasures. They have a standard "cantonese" style menu. Unfortunately, 1 star off for the ambience / cleanliness.
(4)